MY JOURNEY to academic excellence was never paved with ease. It was shaped by sacrifice, discipline, and an unwavering belief that education would always be my family’s strongest hope out of hardship.
I was raised in Mexico, Pampanga, in a household that constantly struggled to make ends meet. With my sister and I in college, an ailing mother who required costly maintenance medicines, and mounting bills, loans, and daily expenses, our family’s resources were stretched thin. Yet amid financial uncertainty, one thing remained constant, our determination to persevere.
I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Major in Biology from Pampanga State University, choosing the program as my pre-med track while holding fast to my childhood dream of becoming a medical doctor. However, even in a state university with free tuition, the cost of studying Biology proved heavy.
Laboratory requirements, research materials, transportation, and other academic expenses demanded resources my family scarcely had. There were times when even just trying to keep up felt overwhelming. The pressure of excelling academically while helping care for my mother at home weighed heavily on me, especially when my sister, then a student nurse, was often away for classes and hospital duties.
With no option to work part-time due to my academic load and responsibilities as a student leader, I relied on strict discipline, carefully budgeting my allowance and reusing old materials whenever possible. Still, as expenses rose, the burden became harder to bear.
In 2023, quietly and without informing anyone in my family, I took a leap of faith and applied for the Department of Science and Technology’s Junior Level Science Scholarship (DOST-JLSS) Program. Fearful of disappointment should I fail, I kept the attempt to myself. Months later, in September, I learned that I had passed.
The scholarship became a turning point in my life. It provided not only financial relief for my studies but also much-needed support for our household expenses. Additional help from a supportive family member further strengthened my resolve. More than material aid, these gestures renewed my confidence to continue pursuing excellence against the odds.
The road was not without setbacks. At one point, my sister even considered giving up her studies to give way for me. But our parents stood firm, insisting that we both finish our degrees—no matter the cost, even if it meant enduring endless debt and loans. Their unyielding faith became our anchor.
In August 2025, all the sacrifices bore fruit. I graduated and finished my degree in Biology summa cum laude and was later recognized in this year’s “In Touch With Excellence,” a program organized by the DOST Region III Scholarship Unit and the DOST–Science Education Institute. The recognition honored 191 DOST scholars from Central Luzon who graduated with Latin honors comprising 20 summa cum laude, 83 magna cum laude, 80 cum laude, and two board topnotchers.
Today, I serve as a Project Technical Assistant I at the Provincial Science and Technology Office of Pampanga under DOST Region III. Through government service, I promise to give back to the institution that helped carry me through my most difficult years. I still keep alive my original dream to become a doctor someday, trusting that it will come in God’s time and grace.
To my fellow students and DOST scholars from similar backgrounds, I offer a message forged from experience: never stop pursuing excellence, even against overwhelming odds. We have all the Filipinos’ support at our back; carry it with pride, toward excellence, and toward service.
From a modest home in Pampanga to the ranks of Central Luzon’s most excellent students. It is in this fact per se that perseverance, purpose, and the power of collective belief can overcome even the greatest odds in life.
