Hello! I am Ivory Dawn Rivera-Camarillo from the culturally rich and beautiful country, Philippines. I am a licensed professional teacher with over 5 years of teaching experience. I'm happy to have found this platform where I can share parts of my life.
I grew up in a very loving and supporting family. I have an older brother and sister. And yes, I am the youngest among us. Growing up, I have seen how hard my mother and father worked just to give us a comfortable life and for them to be able to send us to school. Our life way back then was so simple yet full of love. My father was a public school teacher and my mother was a housewife.
We used to sell goods. From selling piaya to pulvoron to maja blanca to kutsinta or whatever my parents could think of just to have extra income, because relying on my father's salary alone wasn’t enough, especially since there were five of us in the family and the three of us were already in school. We had to wake up early in the morning to prepare and pack the goods for selling. And prepare for school right after so we won’t get late. Back then, I used to stretch my daily allowance of ₱5 (0.089usd). It was just enough to buy a stick of banana cue and a small juice for snacks. That may not seem like much, but it was more than enough to make me happy.
I remember how my father used to tell us that, "Naningkamot mi maayo ni Mama ninyo para dili ninyo ma experience among na experience nga kalisod sauna" (Your mother and I worked very hard so that you wouldn't have to experience the hardships we went through in the past). After hearing that from him, I always keep in mind that when I have my own family someday, I will also work hard so that my children won't have to go through the same difficulties.
With over years of hard-work and dedication, my father who was once an ordinary school teacher, is now a Doctor of Education and an Education Program Supervisor in Science for over 10 years. And my mother who was once just a plain housewife, is now managing a small business. That’s why I truly look up to them. I’ve seen firsthand that through hard work and determination, you can really achieve the things you dream of especially when it’s for your family.
My siblings and I studied so hard so that when time comes, we’d be able to give back to our parents. Our journey wasn’t that easy. We have faced a lot of challenges along the way but conquered everything because we always have each other's back. The three of us were able to graduate from a prestigious university. My older brother graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in Hospitality Management and is working now in a cruise ship as a cook. My older sister also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is working now in a Finance Office. And I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education major in Mathematics and is working at Department of Education for 7 years as Teacher III. We owe everything we’ve achieved to our hardworking parents. I love you, Mama and Papa.
I am now happily married with the love of my life, Lester Jay, and we were blessed with a sweet and loving daughter, Zozo. I dedicate all my life to my own family. They are the ones who give me the strength and the reasons to work even harder. I and my husband are slowly building the life we have always dreamed of, not just for the two of us, but for our daughter as well.
I came across at @antonette's post about this amazing opportunity to freely express our thoughts and without hesitation, I reached out to her for help. She kindly guided me through how to navigate this platform and explained the rules and policies, especially the strict guidelines on not using AI-generated content for posts. I understand and respect these rules, and I’m committed to sharing only my genuine thoughts and experiences here.
All my posts will come straight from me. The photos I used are personally taken and enhanced with a little help from Canva.