While other high school graduates are busy picking universities best to enroll in, Marisol, Rhea and Jenny are busy looking for opportunities to enroll in any school for their college education.

A couple of months prior to their graduation, Marisol De Castro, Rhea Doce and Jenny Doce, students of Sampiro National High School inBrgy. Sampiro, San Juan, Batangas Province, pray hard that they be able to qualify to any scholarship program that will bring them to college.

For these three students who graduated with honors from the said school last March 2015, life for the next school year will depend on whether or not they get a scholarship. Having one will mean a college education for them; otherwise, it means having to work for a couple of years or so to save enough money to support their own education.

“Nagkakaiyak na nga po kami sapag kumbinse sa mga magulang namin na pag-aralin kami ng college. Pagtinatanong ko sila, sinasabi nila na ‘pag may scholarship, sige.  Pagwala, wala,” shared Rhea, 16, who graduated 6^th in her class.

Despite knowing how important a college education is, these three graduates understand their family’s incapability to support them to college. Jenny’s and Marisol’s parents are engaged in farming and vending vegetables for a living. Rhea’s father, on the other hand, is a tricycle driver while her mother stays at home.

Despite this, all three of them are determined to go to college and chase their dreams.

“Sayang naman po ang lahat kung hindi namin ipagpapatuloy ito, sayang ang pagkakataon para makamit namin ang aming mga pangarap,” sharedJenny, 15, who graduated 3^rd in her class.

Their goals, determination

Marisol, 16, dreams to be a teacher. Jenny wants to be a veterinarian and Rhea, a police officer.

“Lahat ng scholarship na p’wede naming applyan, ina-applyan na namin,” shared Marisol, who is 5^th honors.

With their grades, they are positive that they’ll soon find a scholarship. All of them, however, do not depend on the scholarship alone or their parents either.

“Tutulong ako sapag titinda ngayong bakasyon para makaipo na kong pambaon sa pasukan.  Magtatrabaho rin ako habang nag-aaral para hindi lahat iaasa na lang,” shared Jenny.

Rhea, on the other hand, is open to working for a couple of years first to save for her college education. Despite her desire to immediately go to college, she knows working for a couple of years is a little sacrifice as compared to the good life she’ll get once she finishes college.

Proud of their roots

Because of the family’s financial situation, Marisol, Rhea and Jenny are all beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Through the program, their high school education was supported and according to them, this support allowed them to graduate with flying colors.

“Naging mas madali na po sa amin ang pag-aaral dahil may sumusuporta na sa amin. Mas madali nang sumalisa mga extra curricular activities at hindi na namin problema ang pambaon,” shared Marisol.

She recalled that before, her parents would always fight over their lack of money to support their daily allowance in school. Jenny, on the other hand, had witnessed how her parents would go to their neighbors early in the morning to borrow money for their school needs. She shared how hard for a daughter like her to see her parents crying over their financial incapacity. Jenny admits that situations like this always affect her performance in school not because of the financial difficulty but of her emotional worries.

Looking at the medals they received on their high school graduation, the three girls can never be happier. For them, the medals are symbols of success—of getting a high school diploma and finally making them a step closer towards changing their families’ fate in the future.

“Minsan po, hinuhusgahan kami ng mga kaklase dahil benepisyaryo kami ng Pantawid.   Pero tinatawanan na lang namin sila. Malaki ang naitutulong sa amin ng programa kaya binabale wala na lang namin sila. Proud kami na kasama kami sa programa at gagawin namin ang lahat para hindi masayang ang pagkakataon na ibinigay sa amin,” shared Jenny.

For the three of them, they won’t stop until they reach their dreams, even if this means taking a lot of scholarship examinations or even working for a year or two to get the help they need. After all, there is nothing impossible for a determined and hardworking person.