J M
- A Magna Cum Laude shares his inspiring and uplifting story of how he achieved his dreams of graduating college
- Kasambahay Jarel Barcelona Tadio shares his struggles as a working student and his thoughts as a college graduate at his recent Facebook post
Last June 10, Facebook user Jarel Barcelona Tadio told everyone about his dreams of being a college graduate and his thoughts on finally achieving it.
In his post that currently has more than 104,000 likes and 31,000 shares, he said that he honestly didn’t believe that the day would come wherein a simple boy from Tuao, Cagayan Valley would be a constant dean’s lister and would stand in front of thousands of people, telling his words of inspiration.
Ever since he was a child, never really had any concrete dreams like other kids. This boy just wanted to help his family. He told the story of how he thought that he couldn’t continue with his studies anymore due to financial difficulties. He immediately started working as a staff in a catering service company to help his parents. Then he decided to work as a house helper.
After some time of being a yaya, he became a working student. Studying from morning ’till the afternoon and working from dusk ’till night time.
Aside from all the sleepless nights and exhaustion, he said that discrimination was also one of his biggest challenges. He stated that other people looked down on him because he was poor.
He proceeded on thanking all the people that helped him along the way. Those who were with him and guided him towards his goal.
Tadio ended his post by saying “proud KASAMBAHAY, proud MAGNA CUM LAUDE”
See his full post below:
“Let me start by saying: “A dream is a vision of a possibility which requires a driven mind and a resilient heart to turn such dream into a reality.”
Nagsimula ako mangarap nung mapagtanto kong iba ang buhay na meron ako sa buhay ng mga batang nasa paligid ko – na marangya at di hamak na mas komportable ang buhay nila kesa sa akin.
All the years I thought I was only dreaming of a very simple dream: to give my family a better life and improve our living status. That was the dream I considered my humble dream since when I was a kid.
When I was in elementary, I used to hear my classmates talking about their dream profession. Some wanted to become a teacher, a nurse, an architect and some wanted to become a doctor.
One time they asked me, Jah anong gusto mo paglaki?
Noong tinanong ako sa totoo lang hindi ako nakasagot agad, napatahimik lang bigla ako, napa-isip at nakaramdam ng konting pag-asa, pero alam mo yung pag asa na may halong lungkot…
Sa mahina at nahihiyang boses, ang sagot ko: “Wala. Wala akong gustong maging in the future. Basta mai-ayos ko lang buhay nila mama, ok na ako.”
Pero ang tunay dahilan kung bakit ganun lang ako sagot ko nun ay kasi alam ko naman na hindi ako makapag aaral pagkatapos ng high school. Alam nyo yung punong-puno ka ng pangarap at pag-asa pero ikaw mismo alam mo yung katotohang hanggang high school ka nalang.
Elementary palang ako, naipamulat na sa akin ang hirap ng buhay. Sa tuwing bakasyon, pumupunta kami sa Apayao at Kalinga para maki-palay, kasi wala kaming sariling lupang sasakahan. Laking putik ako. Laking dumi kami. Nakikisaka lang kami. Laking bukid ako kaya alam ko ang halaga ng bawat butil ng pawis na tutulo sa mga magulang ko. Kaya alam ko ang bawat sakripisyo nila.
Hanggang noong matapos ang high school, ganun ang kwento. Sakrispisyo talaga. At naniniwala ako na hindi ko lang ito kwento. Malamang maraming tulad ko ang lumaki sa bukid.
Nuong patapos na ako sa high school, one time, my classmates were talking about the school they intend to enter in College.
As usual, they asked me: “Jah san ka mag aaral sa College?”
Sa totoo lang meron na ako naisip kung saan ako mag aaral nuon pero ang sagot ko sakanila: “eh ano.. Hindi naman ako mag-aaral. Maghahanap agad ako ng trabaho, kailangan kasi nila mama ang tulong ko.”
Dahil sa kalagayan ng buhay namin, naging isa akong estudyante na mas piniling kalimutan ang pangarap mag-aral sa kolehiyo at makapagtapos ng Degree, dahil noon palang alam ko na sa sarili ko na hindi ako magaaral.
Isang araw kinausap ako ng mama ko, ang sabi nya: “Nak susubukan naming suportahan ang inyong pag-aaral anak, gagawa kami ng paraan.”
Nung sinabi nya yun, alam nyo yung biglang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko, yung tipong gusto ko magsisigaw sa labas ng bahay namin sa sobrang kasiyahan, pero syempre hindi ang galak ng puso ko ang isinagot ko sakanya.
Ang sagot ko nun: “wag na ma, malulubog lang tayo sa utang.”
Pero ang katotohanan, sinabi ko lang yun kasi mas kailangan nila ang pinansyal na tulong. Sa likod ng katotohanang hindi nila ako mapag aaral, hanggang langit parin yung pangarap ko mag-College. May lungkot at inggit, yung iba pinag-aaral ng magulang pero ayaw mag aral, samantalang ako, gustong gustong mag aral pero hindi makapag aral dahil sa kakulangan ng pera.
Labin-limang taon palang ako, nag tatrabaho na ako. After graduating in High School, I immediately looked for job. My first job was in catering services. Nag crew ako pero on call lang, sobrang liit ng sweldo at kulang talaga. Matapos ang dalawang buwan napagdesisyonan kong maghanap ng regular na trabaho.
Namasukan ako bilang maid. Oo, katulong po, yaya. Kasambahay. Pero taas nuo ako sa naging trabaho ko. Marangal yun. At ang masaya dun, libre na ang tulugan, libre pa ang pagkain, libre meryenda, libre tv, libre cable at libre wifi. Saan ka pa!
Sabi ko nun, hindi man ako masuportahan ng aking mga magulang sa pag aaral, gagawa ako ng paraan para mapag aral ko ang sarili ko. Hindi ako papayag na hindi ako makakapag aral. Hindi ako papayag na ganun ganun nalang. Hindi ko isusuko ang pangarap ko.
In first year of working as kasambahay, I really found it difficult. One afternoon, when I was doing my chores, I suddenly asked myself: “Jarel, forever ka na bang kasambahay? Forever nalang bang ganito?”.
And those questions made realized something: the importance of dreaming, the importance of education.
Ultimately, that inspired me to continue my education. Nag WORKING STUDENT ako. Mahirap maging working student, aral sa umaga, trabaho sa hapon at gabi. Puyat at pagod ang kalaban, lalo kung may mga projects (hello catering teachers) at quizzes (hello cost control, bus. mathematics), tapos sasabayan ka pa ng teacher mong laging galit (hello maam………secret) at meron pa yung kung magpa recite kulang aminin naming kami ang bumaril kay Rizal.
Maliban pa dun, may mga taong hindi yata masayana makita kang nagsisikap makamit ang pangarap mo.
I was discriminated – I was belittled, they all judged me because of my financial misfortune, and what pains me most…yung unang hindi maniniwala sayo, yung nanglalait sayo at yung unang mang-chichismis sayo ay yung mga kamag anak mo.
I suffered first from discrimination, poverty….
so i think it is natural for me to use this opportunity to speak for the people who are unable to speak for themselves.I would never forget this, I heard them say: “Sino naman ang magpapaaral sa kanya eh, wala naman silang lupang sakahan. Madi maka graduate ata, hanggang pangarap lang atan.”
My dear friends, listen to me, remember this: people may talk behind us, people may not believe in us and people may drag us down but do not be shaken, we do not exist for them; because we live for the people who have faith in us – because this life is for our family.
I live for my life’s purpose, my purpose as a son, as a dreamer and as a determined person. I was neither born to impress nor to please them; much more that I don’t need to be liked by them. I was born to be myself, to reach my dreams, and to be the best version of myself – and that is my life’s purpose. Anyway at the end of the day, my purpose is my family.
My purpose is to believe in my dreams, to believe that dreams are whispered plans from the lord. To believe that no matter what my circumstance in life is.DREAMS combined with faith and determination DO COME TRUE.
Difficulties and obstacles challenged my ability to work independently, to be a warrior. Honestly I can’t still believe that this day would come; that a simple working student from TUAO, CAGAYAN VALLEY would become a consistent dean’s lister and would stand in front of THOUSANDS of people sharing my thoughts of inspiration.
From the time I started dreaming, my biggest realization is, that I shall never give up on my dreams; I shall never surrender, and never let obstacles weaken and hinder my progress.
Ma, Pa, ito na po ang bunga ng bawat pagod, bawat puyat, bawat sakripisyo, bawat hirap at bawat luha.
Graduate na po ang anak nyo nyo’ at ito ay dahil sa hindi nyo ako pinabayaan, dahil sa pagtitiwala sa aking kakayahang tapusin ng matapang at tahakin ng may takot sa Dyos ang aking nasimulan.
I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude to the people who helped me stand and work for my dreams.
To my family, MA & PA, you are my inspiration. You are the very reason in every decisions, plans and actions I make. You are the reason behind these accomplishments. Ma, Pa, tagumpay nyo po ito, God just made me His instrument for you to know how successful you are. Ma, Pa lagi niyo pong tatandaan na mahal na mahal ko po kayo.
Kayo po ang rason kung bakit ako nagsikap na makapagtapos at magkaroon ng pangarap, pangarap sa aking sarili at sa ating pamilya. Ma, pa, magtatapos ako at magtatrabaho, ako po ang bahala sa inyo, tutulungan ko po si kuya. Promise ko yan Ma at papa. Ma, pa, aggrdauate tuy anak yun oh, adda pay bonus na. Huwag kayo mag alala mama papa, etong speech at yung diploma muna ang tanggapin nyo, pauna palang to, sa susunod may sobre na po.
To GUEVARA and BALLESTEROS family, my second family, maraming salamat po sa pagkupkop sa akin, sa pagtanggap sa akin ng buo bilang parte ng napakabuti nyong pamilya. Tatanawin ko po itong malaking utang na loob. Kay ate Ness Ballesteros Guevara, maraming salamat ate. You may be in Australia right now, but I just want you to know how much thankful I am that I met the kindhearted woman like you. Hindi ko alam kung pano kita papasalamatan ate. Napakabuti mo pong guro, anak, kapatid, at kaibigan. You are wonderfully amazing indeed. You will always be my best ate ever.
To my best friends Reynalin Pat and Angelica Guizanda Gorospe, you are both my anchors. Thank you for keeping my feet on the ground.
To CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY, ADMINISTRATION and dear teachers, our mentors and my life coaches, thank you for the learning, skills, expertise and values that you imparted us. Those will be our weapons in our future career. We will make you proud. We will make marks in our own industry. We will always be a proud CSUAN.
Sir RC, thank you very much Sir for molding me as debater, thank you for giving me the opportunities to represent our College. It has been my honor to prove to the whole studentry of CSU that HIM students are intellectual beings. Maraming Salamat po
If it wasn’t for all of you, I wouldn’t reach this humble achievement.
Friends, just remember to give your best. Believe me, in moments of doubt, remember our family, especially our parents, our friends and love ones, they are always ready to guide and support us.
Let us not be afraid in facing challenges. Let’s pursue our dreams. Mapapagod pero hindi susuko. Masusugatan pero hindi aayaw. Mabibigo pero hindi bibitaw.
I WILL CONTINUE MAKING MY PARENTS THE PROUDEST. IT’S NOT THE EASIEST, BUT I BELIEVE IT’S CERTAINLY THE BEST.
ako po si Jarel Barcelona Tadio
proud KASAMBAHAY
proud MAGNA CUM LAUDE”
