Finishing Studies is Struggle, as in for Real!

The speaker discusses their challenging education journey, starting with living with their grandmother and aunt in their father's hometown. They describe their experiences in elementary school, learning basic household chores, and the absence of computers. They then move to their father's place and attend high school, initially excelling but later experiencing difficulties with their father and stepmother. Despite almost failing, they are encouraged to finish high school and graduate. They take a break from studying and work at their aunt's restaurant before returning to their province. They consider continuing their studies there but ultimately decide to go back to their father's place and enroll in a university. They choose nursing and endure struggles both at school and home. Eventually, due to conflicts with their family, they leave and pursue a career as a professional singer in Vietnam. After nine years, they decide to continue their studies and get accepted into a university in Hello! Welcome to Dada Podcast! For our second episode, I will walk you through my education journey. It's not a normal situation like everybody else. I went through rocks, spikes, name it all. My studying journey is quite challenging and struggles for me. Since I was a child, it was my dream to finish my studies. But due to my situation at that time, I felt like it's too difficult for me to reach my goals. Me and my sister was sent to my father's hometown to study the elementary there. My Lola, which is my grandma, took us in first and then later on my aunt, which is my dad's older sister, took over to take care for us and the rest of the family. Me and my sister was not the only one who was there. Also my cousins. We were sent to elementary school nearby and it was adaptable somehow. I made friends and the province life was easier rather than living in the city. Well, that's true. Elementary days are somehow wonderful experience for me. Our aunt teaches us the basic house chores from simple cooking, cleaning the house, washing clothes, and assisting her in the convenience store. Computer wasn't yet available and the books are the only present at that time. And I realized how simple and how much we put effort on studying that time since computer is not yet accessible. Well, especially we are in the province and it's like away from the civilization. I started my father in my father's hometown from elementary to first year high school. I learned a lot from those years that I spent while studying. I must take care of my nieces and house chores. It's like my training ground for a while. During school days, I'm like a working student. And I can't complain at my very young age where I believe that it was part of my development to be responsible in everything I do. I do excel based on my knowledge. Well, I thought it's already good since my parents are not present at time to praise me and to tell me that I'm doing great. At my young age, it was like self-reliant basis because I have no one to inform about my school achievements. I was just motivating myself to excel due to my classmates' competitive behavior. Well, thanks to them. After first year high school, my dad moved us in Maribeles National High School in Luzon. This is in Luzon, northern part of the Philippines. So, he can take care of us and be a father to us somehow. From second to fourth year high school, it was a rollercoaster experience for me and also for my sister. We needed to adjust with the environment in terms of studying, the dialect, and the people around us. I thought it would be easier to live under my dad's care, but it's not. At first, I was excelling in school. I was very competitive, enjoying some activities, trying to get some plus points for the sake of the high grades. I thought it was a good start for both of us. But as the years goes by, by living with my dad and stepmother, it was like a Cinderella experience for us. I thought it only happened in the stories and movies, but guys, I tell you this. Fairy tales, struggles to have in real life. Like I told you, Cinderella story happens in real life. Well, I'm not going to tell you that story now. It will be another story next time. Well, of course, I survived high school even though I almost got dropped out and not being able to graduate due to bad experiences that I can't handle anymore. But with the help of my aunt, my mom's sister, and the people around me, such as my classmates, they encouraged me to finish the last quarter of the school year so I can graduate. Because of the unacceptable problems that I had at the time, I lost the motivation to study hard. That leads me to almost failure and impossible to finish high school. But I did finish it, even though I have low grades. But my advisor, Momly YY, helped me to graduate because she said that she will not allow anyone to be left behind and failed. That's why I'm forever grateful to her. Because she understands my pain and struggles. And after all that drama and everything that happened, I eventually did graduate high school. Thanks God. After high school, me and my sister left and went to my aunt in Manila. I took a stop in my studying and work at my aunt's restaurant for quite some time. During those times, I wanted to continue studying, but I felt like I'm lost because of what I've experienced. My aunt supported my sister to finish high school, and after that we decided to go home to the province. Well, we went back to Samar and stayed there for a while. Do some jobs there and figured something out on how to continue my studies. My cousin offered me to continue my studies in the university there. However, my dad asked me to go back and continue my studies in his place. Well, at first I was so happy but at the same time worried that I'm gonna experience once again the Cinderella thing. But because of my desire to study in the university, I followed my dad. Went back there, enrolled in PUP, which is the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Bataan Branch. My dad asked me to take the education course, but I chose the Bachelor of Science in Nursing because I thought it was in demand that I can help him after I graduate. I knew that course was difficult. However, the everyday life struggles, whether in school and home, was like I'm literally fighting in a world war 3. Every day is a battle for me. I cried blood during my university days there. I was lucky that I had Muning, Raya May, my best friend that time, who accompanied me through almost everything. She saved me from my sadness. Well, I think some of my classmates also do that. Relieved me and comforted me. My life was such a complex that time that I felt like I want to give up. That time I felt happy when I'm in school, studying, but when I go back home, it's a tragic scene that I can't imagine. How did I go out from that situation? I mean, I was horrible. Horrified. But I took that as a life experience for me. Because of the deep conflict between me, my dad, and my stepmother, I decided to finish the first semester only and run away from them. That part of my life broke my heart deeply. It was my first heartbreak. My university heartbreak. Because I really wanted to finish university that time, and of course, it was my dad's promise to me. That time I just thought that period of my life was not meant to be happen. That it's not my destiny. And then I stopped chasing that dream and switched to pursuing a career. After running away and went to my aunt in Manila again, she started to mold and train me as a professional singer. Because that time our focus was to go to abroad and work since my studying didn't work out. Then I went to Vietnam to pursue my newly found career, which is a professional singer, together with my newly found best friend and partner, Janicee, and my uncle. After that, I also had the opportunity to work in hospitality, which is my current job now. After 9 years of pursuing my career, I decided to find a university in Hanoi to continue my studies. Maybe it was the right time and God's willing to pursue my studies. I got accepted in VNUIS, the Vietnam National University International School. Luckily, I have a very supportive employer who allowed me to study while working and also by the support from my considered family here in Hanoi, Vietnam. I was hesitating and at the same time afraid. First, because of my age. I'm already 30 at that time. And because it was such a long time that I stopped studying that I might have forgot everything. And that no one would help me. But I was wrong. I overcame my fear through believing myself that I can do it despite of my age and my desire to get that bachelor degree. I prayed a lot to cope up those hardships. My classmates, despite of the age gap and race, they opened their arms for me. They didn't think of me as different from them. And they accepted me as their own race. That's why it was easy for me to overcome those hardships because of the people around me. I accomplished my first dream to finish my studies and graduated from the university that I longed for since day one. I was very proud of my achievements. And I realized that I must never stop dreaming and claiming that it will happen in the right timing of God's plan. It took me years to finally reach that very first dream that I had. And I must say nothing is impossible. If possible, exceed our expectation and never stop dreaming until we reach those goals in life. Well, I'm not going to stop here. I have a lot of dreams to be done. And I will not sit back and relax because no one will do it for me. Only me can make it happen. And it's all possible because God is by my side. And of course, hard work, patience, motivation, my vision, my passion, and believing in myself are the important ingredients that I need to take with me to success. That's why I don't have a plan and reason to stop now. Because I'm just starting it. I'm sharing the experience to motivate young people to stay in school when you have a chance. Even life gets harder, don't stop. Even there's a lot of hindrances and obstacles in life, just keep walking. Walk, walk, walk. And chase your dreams. Because you'll never know what God has made for you. Just keep climbing and don't lose hope. It's okay to take a rest for a while and take a deep breath. However, you must push yourself to continue. Include God in your journey and pray. Because that's the strength you'll be needing in the process. And when the time comes, let it surprise you with a great result.