You will not know success once you fail.

You will not know success if you will not try again and again.
You will not know success if you will not believe. And you will not know success if you do have Faith.
Success as everybody believes is when you achieved what you dreamed of, but for me success comes
when you believed in God. PROVERBS 3:4-6 “So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God
and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths”.

Teaching is actually not the profession that I dreamed of. When I was a kid my mother wants me to
become priest and from that moment, I installed to my mind that I will become a parish priest of our
town Libertad. On my 4th grade, my parents teach me to cook different dishes and I find myself having a
gift of good taste and cooking skills, so I decided to become a famous chef. When maturity strikes during
my high school days my hobbies have change from food industry, I jump to the fashion Industry. Yes, I
dreamed to become one of the world-class Filipino designers like Michael Cinco, Francis Libiran, Furne
Amato, Ezra Santos, and Cary Santiago. Few moths before my graduation, Reality strikes on me like a sky
falling towards me. My dream to become a designer vanished due to having financial insufficient. My
family cannot afford to send me to Iloilo to get the course Bachelor of Industrial Technology major in
Fashion Apparel. Instead, my family want me get Education course for we are came from the roots of
teaching. With full of disappoint, I think of myself as a failure. I planned to counter-attack my fate by not
giving my best in the University Admission and Aptitude Exam, and the Interview but nothing happens, I
enrolled in the program of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Technology and Livelihood
Education at Aklan State University College of Industrial Technology, Kalibo, Aklan.

June 10, 2013 was the first day of my college life. In every subject, you have introduced yourself to your
professor and classmates. It was the day I find out that I am the only one in the class who is not willing
to take the course. Everyone in class is so happy thinking that they have already take their first step on
their dream and I, I am disappointed of what I had at that moment. It was on the second semester of my
second year in college where I started to accept being a teacher. I started to enjoy every activities and
classes, especially when it comes to my major subjects where in I can express my artistry, gifts and skills.
On March 30, 2017, I graduated in the University feeling regretful. If only I embraced earlier my calling
as a teacher, and have focus on my first year and a half of my studies, maybe I graduated as cum laude
in the university. Yet, I am happy seeing my family’s smiling face as I wear the best OOTD of a college
student, walked up the stage, and received my diploma.

My journey to become a teacher doesn’t end as I received my diploma, for everybody believes that a
teacher should be licensed and eligible. Getting ready for the Licensure Examination for teacher is quite
difficult and you need to have a great preparation. I enrolled to JJ Review and Training Center, Kalibo,
Aklan for I believe having a review center is a great help for me to pass the exam. Doubts to myself arise
as the date of examination comes. I asked for the guidance of God. I prayed to pass the exam. Days
comes nearer I loss hope of passing the exam until everything has change when I hear the Homily of the
priest when I attended the mass celebration on the cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Diocese of Aklan.
He said “Surrender to God and let His plan to you be done. Why not pray for good health, instead of
passing? You will not be accomplished what you want if you have poor body, dreary mind, and weak
spirit”. From that moment I put all myself to God and ask for guidance and good health instead of
passing the exam. I ask God to let His plan for me be done, if teaching is for me then I will do my best to
become a great one who inspires everyone who I meet. Three days before the exam, I together with my
friends went to Iloilo to attend the final grand coaching at the Iloilo grand hotel and checked in on the
same hotel. Every night on the hotel before we sleep, we prayed the Holy Rosary and asked for the
guidance of the Blessed Mother Mary for the exam. September 24, 2017, I took the Licensure
Examination for Teacher at Iloilo National High School. On November 27, 2017, I received the good news
of passing the examination.

The first chapter of my life being a licensed professional teacher started as I prepare myself for the
Registry of Qualified Applicant (RQA) or commonly known as Ranking. To earn point for the ranking, I
joined trainings just like the ICT training of the Tech4Ed of the Municipality of Pandan and The Technical
Education for Skill Development Authority (TESDA) training in dressmaking at Saint Anthony’s College,
San Jose, Antique. I passed my requirements at Libertad national Vocational School, Libertad, Antique
for the RQA hoping that I will be hired at the said school. I undergo Interview and Teaching
demonstration as a part of requirements and qualification. While waiting for the result of the RQA, I
joined the training for Trainers Methodology Level I at the Advance Central College, San Jose, Antique
and to earn money I used my talent on designing and Makeup and I also become a substitute teacher at
Laggui Depuno Memorial School Foundation, Libertad, Antique and the experience there has taught me
to have patience and understanding in learners behavior and nature. The result of the RQA was released
and I got 69.6% and the passing rate is 70%. It was so frustrating. I asked myself where did I got wrong
and where did I have lacked? Because of the rating my mother used her connection with her best friend
in college who happens to be the principal of Aureliana National High School, Patnongon, Antique. My
mother asked her if she can talk to the division office and ask if they can give consideration with my RQA
rating and hopefully the division office told her that there will be a recalibration of the ratings of all who
didn’t reach the cut-off rating.

I was looking forward to hired at the Aureliana National High School because I have talked personally
with the principal and everything is ready until a call changes everything. When I was taking my vacation
at Pavia, Iloilo at my aunt’s house. I received a call from home. My mother told me to go home to
prepare and process my requirements because I got an advice to be hired in Libertad National
Vocational School. I was so lucky that God has granted me my prayers to be employed in the place which
is near to my home. While getting my thing ready a call from Mr. Vee-R Lebuna popped up on the screen
of my phone. I accepted the call, he said, he already has my advice and he is going to Iloilo to process
some of the requirements, so instead of going home, I waited for his arrival and I also processed some of
the requirements.

On November 12, 2018, I started teaching on the said school. On February 15, 2019, my appointment as
a teacher I was approved. Now, I am teaching ICF 8, MAPEH 8, TVE 7, and TVE 8. I also handling the
advisory of Grade 8 Aguayan, composing of 22 boys and 16 girls. Currently, I am taking my Masters of
Art in Education major in Home Economics at Aklan State University – College of Industrial Technology,
Kalibo, Aklan.

I dreamed to be a priest; I dreamed to be a chef; I dreamed to be a designer but when I embraced God’s
will and feel contented with it I find myself preaching in the four corners of the classroom; cooking the
ingredients of good values, and designing a future of every generation. What I learned from my
experience is success comes when you are contented and thankful of every gift, and plan that God gives
to you. Aiming too much is an endless process where goals and achievement is invisible and frustration
and depression is the outcome. Contentment on the other hand, is setting priorities and goal that we
can call success every time we have achievements. I wanted to be a star but God make me the sun that
brightens the day and bestow light to the moon in the evening to give direction for those who wanted
success to their life.

Thank you, Lord for the Life.