Millennial chief engr shares greatest lessons of the sea

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ELIZSA Chomi, at first glance, seems like your average millennial — polite and reserved with a dash of individuality and guts.

When observed from afar, one cannot immediately get a sense of the person behind the façade of utter simplicity. As soon as Chomi speaks, however, a child of the sea presents herself in all glory — candid, deep and earnest, with a palpable sense of adventure.

Chomi is part of the 2 percent of the world’s maritime workforce. But unlike others, she does not work in areas of the ship deemed suitable for women, such as the deck of a merchant vessel or the galley of a cruise ship.

Chief engineer Elizsa Chomi at work with male co-workers. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

She entered the male-dominated industry of seafaring and thrived in a sphere that is customarily reserved for the brawn and brunt of men — the engine room. As this story is being written, Chomi is several decks below an oil/chemical tanker in Europe.

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The 34-year-old Cebuana is the vessel’s chief engineer.

Given her loaded schedule onboard, Chomi is straightforward with what she can and cannot do. She sets expectations even before one is made. But as with most millennials, she finds a way to make things happen.

This reflects her professional standards and personal values as a Filipina seafarer. “There are countless challenges women encounter at sea. But instead of letting it break me, I learned to train my mind to focus on the important things. I make sure that I am a better version of myself every day; after all, we are the ones in charge of our lives, and it is our job to be kind to ourselves and believe in our capabilities,” Chomi said.

In her 13 years at sea, Chomi never placed her sense of self-worth and motivation in the hands of others. She found it within herself to keep pressing forward and refusing to be distracted by disparaging remarks of those around her.

“We simply learn from our mistakes until we become the person we want to be. The opinions of others should never distract us from doing so,” she said. Chomi’s mental strength was honed within the prestigious Maritime Academy of Asia & the Pacific (MAAP) in Mariveles, Bataan. She is a member of the Class of 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering.

Since graduating, Chomi relentlessly pursued the path toward being a ship officer. Today, she finds herself as a young woman who leads a group of men aboard a 4,000-gross-ton vessel in Europe.

Chomi attributes all these to hard work. “The reward will come at the right time. By the time you reach the top of your career, though, you should never use your position to harm or discourage other people. You should use this position to inspire others to be kind human beings,” she reflected.

The tempest of the world’s oceans only hardened the young woman in good ways; her compassionate heart and gentle soul remained untouched.

Chomi expressed how the sea impressed a great lesson on her.

“Every person has their own story. They have their own struggles and success. We should always be kind to everyone and never assume that we are greater or lesser. We are made the way we are because we have our distinct roles to play in the greater scheme of things.”

Seeing the world has since become more than a path of adventure for Chomi. It led her to people and circumstances that offered pockets of wisdom.

“I am thankful every time,” she said.

Traveling the world has always been one of the best things a seafarer loved about the profession. Chomi understood, however, that while millions have chosen to take the path, not everyone was given the opportunity.

“No matter how brief I get to visit or glimpse a different side of the world, I always feel grateful. It is the experience that matters most. An exceptional memory at sea was fishing with my fellow crew members during anchorage. It is amazing how seafarers manage to catch big fish with just little tools. All it takes is a creative mind.”

It was then that Chomi realized that a person’s greatest asset is not anything tangible. It is their capabilities, values and spirit.

At the end of the day, despite reaching the peak of her career at such a young age, Chomi still does not see herself as superior to her colleagues. In her eyes, she is just another ordinary person. She is simply “Zsa” to her friends and family, who adds color to life with musical instruments, piano and guitar.

Chomi is on an adventure called life. She continues to explore the world even while offshore, seeing, tasting and feeling one place at a time.

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