My journey of becoming a CPA is a series of numerous failures and agonies. And I used those two things to keep motivated and continue the fight.
Born in a very poor family living in the squatter’s area somewhere in Rizal. I. My mother and father are jobless and we only have a small store where we sell lutong-ulam and some grocery items. Our condition served as my inspiration to excel in school – both in academics and non-academics. Being the eldest among the siblings, the weight is on my shoulders. I want to give my parents what they truly deserve – the good life. I managed to graduate at the top of my elementary and high school. But when I was told by my mother that they cannot send me to college, I almost lost all the hopes in the world. I was in tears at that moment as I tried to understand our situation. But I said to myself that I won’t give up the fight. Being poor shall not be a hindrance to achieving my dreams.
Dream ko talaga noon pa na makapagtayo ng school para sa mga mahihirap na kabataan tulad ko.
So I tried to find ways to support my studies. Plan A is to look for a scholarship assistance since I don’t want to work while studying as much as possible due to health reasons. I applied to various scholarship programs – both government and private. Luckily, I was able to pass the exams and interviews and I was able to be entitled to two scholarship programs. I enrolled in the nearest ,accessible and affordable school.
I found the course interesting as early as Day 1 in college. Motivated and inspired again, I gave all my best to conquer every subject. Para kasi saken, napakalaking pribilehiyo ang mag-aral sa college nang libre kasi nga mahirap lang ako kaya dapat pagbutihin ko talaga. But my everyday life in college was not easy. There were times na di ako makapasok kasi wala akong baon or kahit pamasahe man lang. Yung mga allowances ko kasi sa scholarship ko binibigay ko rin sa parents ko para sa pagkain at sa pag-aaral din ng mga kapatid ko. Madalas akong late dahil kelangan ko munang magtinda sa umaga para may pamasahe ako papunta sa school. Basta hindi ako sumuko. Give lang lahat ng kayak o. Until one day nalaman ko na lang na nagta-top na pala ako sa mga exams at dean’s list. The professors noticed me kasi nga lagi akong late pumapasok pero kahit na ganun, ako lagi ang nangunguna sa buong campus. So they asked me why I was always late. I told them the truth. So they endorsed me to the school President for a full scholarship grant (no tuition and other fees from then on hanggang sa review!). sobrang iyak ko sa tuwa nun! Tuwang-tuwa ang parents ko kasi they can see the light now at the end of the tunnel.
Ok na lahat until a few days before my college graduation at masaya na lahat kasi may latin honors ako, when I received a text from my younger brother that my mother was rushed to the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, I found her body in the morgue. Heart attack! Yon na ang pinakamasakit na nangyari sa buong buhay ko. Wala na ang taong inspirasyon ko at pag-aalayan ko ng tagumpay ko. Sigaw ako nang sigaw sa ospital nun ng “Bakit di mo man lang hinintay ang graduation ko? Konti na lang ‘ma CPA na ako. Unti-unti na tayong makakaahon”. From that time on, alam ko na na nasa akin na ang pinakamabigat na responsibilidad sa pamilya.
Natapos ang malungkot kong graduation (unang graduation ko na wala *** taong nagsasabit lagi ng medalya saken) – ang nanay ko. Armed with scholarship privileges in the review schools due to latin honor titles and grants I won on inter-school accounting quiz bees, I enrolled at CPAR and PRTC (Yung iba siguro ditto, nakikila na kung sino ako). Weekdays sa PRTC and weekends sa CPAR. Focus talaga ako kahit mahirap dahil nandun pa rin yung lungkot ng pagkawala ng nanay ko at may sakit pa ang tatay ko. Pinagkakasya ko ang 3K na allowance sa loob ng isang buwan para sa pagkain at pamasahe ko. Tinitiis ko na lang ang gutom ko nun basta makapasok lang sa review class. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, this is it! This will be the major turning point in my life. Ang goal na na-set ko noon is not just to pass the board but to top it (ambisyoso noh?!) Kelangan akong pumasa, maraming bibig ang umaasa saken. I made a personal review schedule and I was able to develop my study habit on it. Lagi kong dala-dala sa bulsa ko ang picture ng nanay ko para ma-energize ako kapag nalulungkot ako or inaantok or tinatamad mag-review.
When the CPA Board result was released, sigaw ako nang sigaw sa kahabaan ng recto sa sobrang saya! Wala akong paki kung pinagtitinginan man ako ng mga tao dun na parang baliw – umiiyak habang sumisigaw at nakangiti! Di man ako topnotcher (top 22 , unofficially) proud pa rin ako kasi di biro ang pinagdaanan ko makuha lang ang lisensyang yon.
Moral of my story: Every success begins with a vision.
Born in a very poor family living in the squatter’s area somewhere in Rizal. I. My mother and father are jobless and we only have a small store where we sell lutong-ulam and some grocery items. Our condition served as my inspiration to excel in school – both in academics and non-academics. Being the eldest among the siblings, the weight is on my shoulders. I want to give my parents what they truly deserve – the good life. I managed to graduate at the top of my elementary and high school. But when I was told by my mother that they cannot send me to college, I almost lost all the hopes in the world. I was in tears at that moment as I tried to understand our situation. But I said to myself that I won’t give up the fight. Being poor shall not be a hindrance to achieving my dreams.
Dream ko talaga noon pa na makapagtayo ng school para sa mga mahihirap na kabataan tulad ko.
So I tried to find ways to support my studies. Plan A is to look for a scholarship assistance since I don’t want to work while studying as much as possible due to health reasons. I applied to various scholarship programs – both government and private. Luckily, I was able to pass the exams and interviews and I was able to be entitled to two scholarship programs. I enrolled in the nearest ,accessible and affordable school.
I found the course interesting as early as Day 1 in college. Motivated and inspired again, I gave all my best to conquer every subject. Para kasi saken, napakalaking pribilehiyo ang mag-aral sa college nang libre kasi nga mahirap lang ako kaya dapat pagbutihin ko talaga. But my everyday life in college was not easy. There were times na di ako makapasok kasi wala akong baon or kahit pamasahe man lang. Yung mga allowances ko kasi sa scholarship ko binibigay ko rin sa parents ko para sa pagkain at sa pag-aaral din ng mga kapatid ko. Madalas akong late dahil kelangan ko munang magtinda sa umaga para may pamasahe ako papunta sa school. Basta hindi ako sumuko. Give lang lahat ng kayak o. Until one day nalaman ko na lang na nagta-top na pala ako sa mga exams at dean’s list. The professors noticed me kasi nga lagi akong late pumapasok pero kahit na ganun, ako lagi ang nangunguna sa buong campus. So they asked me why I was always late. I told them the truth. So they endorsed me to the school President for a full scholarship grant (no tuition and other fees from then on hanggang sa review!). sobrang iyak ko sa tuwa nun! Tuwang-tuwa ang parents ko kasi they can see the light now at the end of the tunnel.
Ok na lahat until a few days before my college graduation at masaya na lahat kasi may latin honors ako, when I received a text from my younger brother that my mother was rushed to the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, I found her body in the morgue. Heart attack! Yon na ang pinakamasakit na nangyari sa buong buhay ko. Wala na ang taong inspirasyon ko at pag-aalayan ko ng tagumpay ko. Sigaw ako nang sigaw sa ospital nun ng “Bakit di mo man lang hinintay ang graduation ko? Konti na lang ‘ma CPA na ako. Unti-unti na tayong makakaahon”. From that time on, alam ko na na nasa akin na ang pinakamabigat na responsibilidad sa pamilya.
Natapos ang malungkot kong graduation (unang graduation ko na wala *** taong nagsasabit lagi ng medalya saken) – ang nanay ko. Armed with scholarship privileges in the review schools due to latin honor titles and grants I won on inter-school accounting quiz bees, I enrolled at CPAR and PRTC (Yung iba siguro ditto, nakikila na kung sino ako). Weekdays sa PRTC and weekends sa CPAR. Focus talaga ako kahit mahirap dahil nandun pa rin yung lungkot ng pagkawala ng nanay ko at may sakit pa ang tatay ko. Pinagkakasya ko ang 3K na allowance sa loob ng isang buwan para sa pagkain at pamasahe ko. Tinitiis ko na lang ang gutom ko nun basta makapasok lang sa review class. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, this is it! This will be the major turning point in my life. Ang goal na na-set ko noon is not just to pass the board but to top it (ambisyoso noh?!) Kelangan akong pumasa, maraming bibig ang umaasa saken. I made a personal review schedule and I was able to develop my study habit on it. Lagi kong dala-dala sa bulsa ko ang picture ng nanay ko para ma-energize ako kapag nalulungkot ako or inaantok or tinatamad mag-review.
When the CPA Board result was released, sigaw ako nang sigaw sa kahabaan ng recto sa sobrang saya! Wala akong paki kung pinagtitinginan man ako ng mga tao dun na parang baliw – umiiyak habang sumisigaw at nakangiti! Di man ako topnotcher (top 22 , unofficially) proud pa rin ako kasi di biro ang pinagdaanan ko makuha lang ang lisensyang yon.
Moral of my story: Every success begins with a vision.
