STORY TIME
Before my sister achieved her dream, she had been through a lot of hardships. During her college days, she was also a working student. Working as service crew in a fast food restaurants during the morning while studying during the night. That was her life back then.
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Another unexpected event happened to her. When she was about to graduate, she got pregnant and had to stop studying to support her child.
However, her life and dreams doesn't stopped there. She was able to return to school through her effort, juggling life of a mother, worker and student. With God's grace, she has completed her degree in Bachelor of Secondary Education - Major in Filipino in the year 2020. After graduated, she really wanted to prepare for the board exam but she couldn't, due to financial constraints.
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Disclaimer: For documentation purposes, I grab some photos from my sister with her permission.
She never gives up on her dream...
She doesn't tell us that she is having her review. I just knew it since every time she came home from work, she would keep herself so busy scanning some notes and even joining some Zoom meetings. That is when I realize she was having her review for the upcoming licensure examination. I admire her dedication to studying so hard, hoping that when she can finally take the board exam she can pass.
Her exam was scheduled on September 24, 2023. Before she took the exam, she visits different churches, specifically Birhen sa Lindogon at Simala and Birhen sa Regla at Lapu-Lapu City, which are believed to be miraculous in granting one's prayers and request. She is asking them for guidance and blessing to grant her request to pass the exam. She believed that passing the exam would open her doors of opportunities in the long run. On the day of the exam, she was very hopeful and positive.
RESULTS ARE OUT
It was December 7,2023, exactly my mom's birthday, when the results of the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers were out. That whole day, I can tell my sister feels nervous and anxious. On the evening of that day, our family was busy preparing for the celebration of my mom's birthday. We invited some guests at that time, mostly my sister's friends. The moment when the results are posted, we quickly checked her name on the list. It is very exciting since the system lagged, maybe because of the huge number of users that happened to check the posted result.
My sister was shaking and speechless while checking her name on the list. When we reached the letter "I" was on the list, sadly, we didn't see her name. My sister's world suddenly stopped for a bit. When she is about to accept that she did not pass the exam, one message pops up in our family group chat. It was at this moment she knew she passed the exam.
Yes, my sister passed the exam. She did it. The whole family became emotional, my sister even cried and jumped for being so happy. She even told my mom that it was her birthday gift for her. My mother is so happy as well, and we are so proud of my sister.
OATH-TAKING DAY
It is a requirement that after passing the licensure exam, passers have to attend their oath-taking ceremony. Oath taking is a process of making an oath, or a promise to do what is expected of them, specifically serve their role as teachers. Before the oath taking ceremony, I helped my sister process her ticket because it is of my convenience since I only have to pay for it at our school. I paid for two tickets for my sister and one for the guest. Supposedly, the plan was her partner would be the guest but due to unforseen events, I substituted him as a guest.
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The oath-taking ceremony happened on March 3,2024, at University of San Jose Recolletos- Basak Campus . It is the only venue for the Region 7 passers, only the schedule time varies. Initially, my sister wanted to attend the 12 am session, but we were notified that it was full, so we moved our schedule to 3 pm.
Even though the ceremony will start at 3 pm, we started going there at exactly 1 pm. Aside from the traffic. We are avoiding the huge crowd since for sure there will be a lot of attendees. And we are right, when we arrived at the venue, there were so many people even blocking the main entrance. I can see that attendees are very good-looking, wearing their best attires.
For my sister, she wants to wear something that's simple and comfortable. She only wears a pair of black pants and a pastel blue polo shirt.
My eyes also couldn't help but mesmerize the beauty of boquets everywhere, someone brought for their loved ones. When we were about to enter, a long line stopped us. They told us we needed to fall in line for the registration. No wonder why it has been so crowded since the 12 am session of oath takers just finished. People are going back and forth.
It is already 3 pm when we finally enter the venue. I was very overwhelmed and felt dizzy because of the huge number of attendees ( I am not used to being in a room with a huge number of people . Also, it was my first time attending the oath-taking ceremony. I got lost since we got separated with my sister but later on, we crossed each other as I texted her.
The program started after a while. It began with the welcoming remarks from the different speakers and representatives. Followed by the recognition and calling of each of the oath takers with their respective majors. Moreover, the moments of oath taking and pinning took place.
Attendees were very emotional as "the climb" song was played in the background. If I were to put my shoes on them, I definitely feel the same. Nothing feels more fulfilling thinking how long you are waiting for that moment to finally happen.
Looking at my sister, I could literally feel that she was very happy with a pin on her chest. For everything she has been into and for the judgments she has received since then, she deserves to be where she is right now. I know my sister has just started her dream, but I believe in her abilities. She deserves the world and a life to be successful. I am so proud of her.
After the pinning session, it is more into talking and sharing about some motivational and inspiring talks from experts. The program ended with a graceful dance being led by the topnotchers and other representatives. Oath takers are really having the best times in their lives. After the program, we directly went home as it is nearly evening already.
That's all, my dear divers! Thank you always for the support. I hope that whoever is reading this will continue working on the things he or she is working on right now. Believe in yourself; for sure, your time will come soon. Your hard work will pay off. I am rooting for you. Keep going.🤗❤❤