From Stall to School

By EDELYN CUARTEROS

I’M Edelyn, 22 years old.

In this photo for this, my sharing, I am smiling confidently, and I’m in my best school outfit.

Like life is good.

But it wasn’t at all in the past.

My parents separated. Now, my mother Letecia, my two sisters, Eleanor and Emily, and I live in San Antonio Gerona, Tarlac.

To fend for us, my mother works as a cook.

I am the eldest, so, early on, I knew I had to help out to ease my mother’s burden—and to be able to afford school. I worked on odd jobs—as domestic helper, waitress, cashier, ice cream vendor, cook in a food stall.

Yup, at left, that’s me in my working shirt and jeans, cooking lugaw (porridge) and mami (noodle soup) in the stall.

Quite a contrast from my photo above.

Transition

How did I transition from stall to school? The Lord sent us a good man—

Sir Rey Ortega (right, with very supportive wife Myrna), founder of Pag-asa ng Pamilya Scholarship

Foundation. We met him through my mother’s employer who was a friend of Sir Rey. Finding about our dire situation, Sir Rey just saw to it that I get a Pag-asa grant.

Possible Dream

In photo at right, that’s me (2nd from right) with my classmates at my alma mater, Corazon C. Aquino High School, during a competition— Kasaysayan ng Daigdig 2017, from left: Ellen Agacite, Christine Niel Dizon, Andrea Lou Rosas, Cherie Evangelista, Cristina Diamzon, Hanna Gonzales,

May Ann Belen, Rogelio Dela Cruz, me, and Hazel Parazo.

And here I am with my Mama Letecia, outside our house in Tarlac. It was the day I graduated from high school.

I became a beneficiary of Pag-asa in 2015, starting when I was in high school.

And I am a Pag-asa scholar until now at the Tarlac State University

At right, here I am with my classmates during face-to-face Midterm Examination in Tarlac State Univerity during our second semester in college, from left: Mary Joy De Guzman, Mikee Mercado, Katherine Asio, me, and Ahrwen Derije.

Shortly after I got the Pag-asa scholarship, sadly, Sir Rey passed on. He is gone now, but I know in my heart that he is peacefully resting in the home of our God. I hope he will not get tired of watching over my family and me.

I can say that we still have our ups and downs in our family, but really, life has been much better since I became a scholar of Pag-asa.

My mother’s dream is for me to have a college degree. She always says that education is a treasure for us to keep no matter what we go through in life. And her dream will soon come true. I’m not a working student anymore, as I am now focusing more in my studies– since I am graduating soon with a degree as Bachelor of Public Administration and Governance.

This is one big achievement for us as a family.

We are very, very grateful — to Sir Rey, to Pag-asa, and above all, to God. Indeed, just as what my favorite Bible verse, Matthew 19:26, says,

“With God, all things are possible.”