Rhelyn Harder
- She worked as a house helper and nanny to fund her education
- She recalled that her teacher puts her down by telling her that being a nanny doesn’t really need someone with education so she should quit school
- Grace excelled in all her subjects as she was encouraged by her parents and professors to continue earning her degree
Another inspiring graduation story had gone viral over social media – a story of a house helper she graduated Magna cum laude, after being discouraged by her high school teacher.
From Talisay City in the province of Cebu, a house helper and nanny named Grace Labrador Bacus finally graduated college at the age of 30. She became an inspiration to netizens. Despite having such work, she still managed to finish her studies and even graduated Magna cum laude with the degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English, from her hometown.
At a very young age, Grace was already responsible as she had thought of the welfare of her parents and siblings. Knowing that her parents couldn’t afford to send them to school, she used her initiative to augment the family’s income. She worked as a house helper and nanny as to fund her education.
In her high school years, she found difficulty managing her time in school and taking care of her younger siblings. Instead of encouraging her, she recalled how her teacher puts her down by telling her that being a nanny doesn’t really need someone with education so she should quit school.
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“Yes, word for word, I could still hear you say that. It was engraved in my heart. That the person I expected to understand me was the same person who broke me to pieces for she was supposedly my ADVISER, my second parent. I promised to myself I will never treat my students the same way as I was treated back then,” she shared.
Grace doesn’t want her siblings to also experience the difficult life she had. After graduating from high school, she decided to work as a house helper for 10 years to support her siblings by sending them to school.
Though being s house help was not enough to sustain their needs, she became a dressmaker and accepted orders for uniform, costumes, bedsheets, and various items just to augment her income.
To help her family, she also tried finding a job abroad but she was told that she needed at least 72 units in college to be qualified, so she enrolled to complete the requirement needed.
Grace excelled in all her subject as she was encouraged by her parents and professors to continue earning her degree.
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“I always gave it my best shot so I was a consistent number 1 dean’s lister since the first year,” Grace shared. “There were a lot of sleepless nights, reading, studying and sometimes crying.”
Now, she was finally able to finish her degree with flying colors. By making her right choices, all her hard work and sacrifices paid off.
