Bright as Sunshine

By VENCENT MAHUSAY

CLOUDLESS sky, blue hills behind me, trees, ornamental plants to my left, and to my right, a concrete house with fence bright as sunshine.

The beautiful scenery does not describe my life— before I became a Pag-asa ng Pamilya scholar.

My father Ronaldo is a carpenter and my mother Emily is a housewife. My father’s income wasn’t enough for my school expenses. I hardly had money for my transportation from our house to my school.

I hardly had money for materials required for my school projects.

With not much budget for my studies, my parents enrolled me in a public school— at the Kaysakat National High School in Antipolo City.

Noticing my financial lack, my senior high teacher, Ma’am Jeanne Marigondon, bless her, helped me to apply for a Pag-asa ng Pamilya scholarship.

And I received the grant in 2017, just when I graduated from senior high and was starting college.

Bright Life

I am now in second year college, at the Rizal Technology University, taking up the course for a degree as Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE).

With the Pag-asa grant, I now have money for my school needs such as a scientific calculator that is essential in engineering and a laptop I need in designing and writing my thesis.

At left, here I am with friends after we passed our Remedial Exam at Rizal Technological University, from left: me, Jaspher Alura, and Dexter Buitizon

Below left, here I am with my classmates at the Rizal Tech Civil Engineering building, standing, from left: me, Jaspher Alura; front: Gabriel Hicarte, CJ Puno, Dexter Buitizon; the ladies girls are Arianne Arada, Princess Abad, and Jessielyn Dela Cruz.

Wide campus, blue and white school building, green lawn, colorful RTU acronym, and smiling friends — these now describe my life as a Pag-asa scholar.

I am deeply grateful.