In this world, it is one sad reality that money and education come together. Financial constraints has always been the primary reason why a lot of students opt to give up their education and choose to work. There are those who believe that by giving up their education, they could lessen their financial burdens and help their families instead.
On the other hand, there are also those who still believe that by persevering in their education, they could make their lives better. Hence, despite the hardships they encountered due to financial constraints, they find ways to pursue their education. In this issue, let us meet two Norsunians who chose to persevere and continue with their education despite the odds. Read on and be inspired.
She looks like any other Norsunian. She attends her classes, she chats with her friends, she does reports, and she makes projects. But what makes her different from any other Norsunian is that, she is not just a student – she is also a full-time employee in one of the famous chicken restaurants in the city, "Ang Lechon Manok ni Sr. Pedro".
At an early age, Maria Cleofe Carta is already aware of their financial incapacity. So when the business owner of Sr. San Pedro’s Lechon Manok, who is also her neighbor in Zamboanga del Sur, offered her a job, she did not hesitated to accept it. "I don’t want to be another burden to my mother who is a factory worker only," she shared.
As one of the trusted employees of the restaurant, Cleofe does all kinds of work— from preparing and cleaning the table, serving the customers, doing cash work, and even to banking transactions. Aside from being a hard worker, what makes Cleofe outstanding is that, she still maintains very high marks despite all her duties in the restaurant. Although she spends all her vacant times working, she never neglected her studies. According to her, the lowest grade she received in college is 2.2 or 83.
Now a junior BS Office Systems Management student, Cleofe admitted that sometimes her work problems affect her studies. Cleofe shared that she sometimes attends classes with her mind on other things such as worries in the workplace.
As a full time employee, Cleofe no longer asks for money from her parents. She pays her boarding house, buys her projects and spends for all her other expenses. Also, when she has excess money, Cleofe sends some amount to her parents.
Despite the difficulty of working and studying full time, Cleofe is not giving up. "I’m not thinking of today, but of tomorrow," she said. When asked what keeps her going, Cleofe can only point to her family. Cleofe knows and believes that she can do anything because of her family.
With everything she has experienced, Cleofe sees herself as somebody successful in the future, working in a company, with her own table, and her own office.
During daytime, he is among the thousands of students being guarded by the security personnel of Negros Oriental State University. Ironically, by night he is the one guarding one of the biggest companies in Negros Oriental.
Junie Tuballa, a 25 year-old junior BS Industrial Technology major in Computer Technology student, keeps his eyes open all night as he guards Energy Development Company-Southern Negros Geothermal Power Field (EDC-SNGPF), a power plant located in the mountains of Ticala, Valencia.
Like Cleofe, Junie was forced to work because of poverty. As the sixth among eight siblings, he stands as the father of the family because his two elder brothers are already married. As the breadwinner of the family, Junie provides for the family’s food consumption, pays for the electric and water bills, as well as the other needs of the family. Aside from that, he is also the one supporting himself and his brother’s tuition fee and allowance, since both of them are already in college.
Junie shared that he has been working as a guard for five years now. Every night, he spends eight hours on-duty. After that, he starts to scan his notes and study to be able to cope with his lessons, and most of all, to gain a passing grade.
To make ends meet, Junie does not only work as a security guard but also engages in other works. He also sells DXN products like coffee, tea, shampoos, lotions, herbal medicine, and a lot more.
Junie admitted that it is not easy to be a working student. Tired from work, he finds it difficult to focus especially now that he is already in his third year in college, a crucial stage in his education. But like Cleofe, Junie is not giving up not only because he wants to finish his studies but also because he does not want to see his family suffer from hunger.
Cleofe and Junie are just two of the many Norsunians who, because of their determination to succeed, juggles school and work in order to achieve their dreams. They are two of the many other students of this university who are worth emulating for the perseverance and determination that they show.
Their stories should teach us a lesson and inspire us that financial constraints is not a reason for us to give up our education. As an old cliché goes, "Poverty is not a hindrance to success", and Cleofe and Junie are on their way to prove the precision of that old cliché.
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