A display of determination and perseverance in reaching her dreams has touched the hearts of netizens.
This is the story of a student from Madlang, Aklan, who refuses to be hindered by the hardships of life and unforeseen challenges that could obstruct her path to success.
According to Genevie Gregorio way back 2021, driven by her niece’s desire to finish her studies, they climbed a mountain in their province just to catch even a small signal so her niece could schedule for the upcoming scholarship exam at Aklan State University.
Photo courtesy: Genevie Gregorio (FB)
They had already spent hours climbing the mountain but had not yet reached their destination. Due to exhaustion and the heat of the trek, Genevie’s niece fainted along the way.
Fortunately, she regained consciousness after taking a rest. Instead of deciding to head back home to recover, giving up was never an option for her niece, whose dreams soared higher than the mountain they were climbing. They chose to press on with their journey.
Her determination stems from her desire to help her parents lift their family out of poverty. Both of her parents earn their living as farmers, working tirelessly to support her and her siblings’ education.
“Gusto niyang tulungan ang pamilya niya. Sobrang hirap kasi ng buhay dito sa amin, malayo sa bayan.” Genevie said on her Facebook post.
“Pagbubukid at pag-a-abaca lang ang hanapbuhay ng parents niya rito para makapag-aral sila,” she added.
Photo courtesy: Genevie Gregorio (FB)
This garnered various reactions and comments from netizens. One of those was her former teacher.
“For the information of everyone, she’s my former student in Panipiason. She’s now an incoming 1st year college student and to tell you frankly in my 3 years of teaching in Panipiason that is the real scenario. It is one of the farthest barangay in Madalag that is why the signal strength of any cellular network is very poor. You really have to climb the mountain just to have a good signal. 😊 Before you judge her, please be in her shoes. 😊 God bless us all. ❤️P. S. She is a consistent honor student from elementary till senior high school. That’s how eager she is in reaching her dreams. ❤️”
Wherever she is now, I hope she is in good condition.