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March 30, 2005 - Birthdate
I was the first child of my parents and we were living in the house of my grandparents because my mom wanted to stay with them first to guide and help her. My dad was working a job to support our needs while my mom was at home taking care of me. Despite my dad working, I was fortunate to grow up with both parents who were providing consistent care and attention to my needs, added to the fact that my grandparents were also taking care of me.

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My younger sister, Bianca, was born so my mom still stayed at home because she had to take care of my newborn sister. The attention was more on her since she was younger, making me grow closer to my grandparents.

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I attended Child's Space before going into pre-school. Here, I started to do things on my own, such as going to the bathroom,  because I attended  school earlier than other kids. Most of them were turning 3 or 4 while I was just 2 years old.  Because of this, I became a very active and high-energy kid, being exposed to kids older than me who were also very active.  I was able to gain hand-eye coordination and motor skills during this time. My mom went back to work, but still was very present in our lives, as well as my dad.

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Went to Miriam College Child Study Center for pre-school because my mom graduated from Miriam College so she wanted me to go there too. It was a bigger school with a larger classroom size. So I had to learn how to interact with kids coming from different backgrounds.

Every year, we would have a play in front of our parents and the entire school. This taught me emotional intelligence and self expression through acting. I gained self-confidence and a creative mind as I was fostering personalities and imaginations. Because it was a play, I had to memorize lines and know what to do, ultimately gaining skills in communication, memorization, etc. Parents we’re very supportive and watched every single show of mine so it boosted my self-confidence and grew to have a love for performing.

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By 2009, we moved into our own home in Rizal. That year was also the year that Typhoon Ondoy hit the Philippines. My mom was out with our house helper to go to the market to buy food, but got stuck so they had to walk home with flood reaching chest level as they carried all the food they bought back home. My sister and I we’re left at home with our dad, but despite him being there, we felt scared most of the time because mom was not home. Because dad worked everyday during the weekdays, the suspension of classes and cancellations of work allowed us to spend more time with him.

My dad taught us to be positive despite challenges. Whenever we feel scared, he always sings us a song to calm us down. This is what I do now whenever I feel scared or anxious.

Dad told us that he would teach us how to bike so there is something to look forward to after the typhoon.

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2010 is the year I met Billy, who is now my best friend. Billy is one of the kindest, most humble, and most caring person I have ever met. She has supported me in everything I have done thus far and been with me through the ups and downs.

I was such an active kid, spending a lot of time with my neighbors and sister, biking around the village, playing games like patintero, hide and seek, ice ice water, etc. My parents gave us the parents gave us the freedom to play but we have to be back inside the house by 6 pm, which instilled to us the value of discipline. Playing with other kids also allowed me to gain collaborative skills.

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In this year, I entered the school year as a Grade 1 student in Miriam College. The classroom size grew even larger, having around 30 classmates . At first, I felt overwhelmed and shy, but because Billy was also my classmate, I was able to open up and interact with other people. Here, I had more subjects and longer hours in the classroom, which was something I had to adjust to. I thought to myself that I can be independent and do everything on my own, but my mom gave me a tutor and she taught me that asking for help is okay. Now, it is my goal to aim for balance, balance of the two.

I also attended Ballet in Halili Cruz School of Ballet when I was in Grade 1. Ballet takes a lot of discipline so I learned to be responsible of my time, my things, and myself.

I had a goal of becoming the soloist, and so I pushed myself to the limit, leading to injuring my ankle. I felt a lot of frustration but I did not know how to act with this emotion, so I simply put it out on my parents.

This taught me to know my limits, be self-aware, and listen to my body.

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When I was in Grade 2, I was elected as class officer. It was my first time being one so I was surprised with the number of responsibilities and tasks I had to do. This is my first experience with leadership, which has allowed my passion for leading develop.

As a class officer, I had to maintain class order, but because I had a below average height, I was not looked at as someone with authority. Students were not following the instructions so I had to learn to really get their attention by being assertive.

2012, my little brother, Jacob, was born. Both my sister and I loved taking care of our little brother because the 8-year age difference with him really made me feel like a true ate.

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K-12 was implemented in the education system so I skipped Grade 3. As a Grade 4 student, it was my first time having a club (required co-curricular), in which I was part of the Dance Club. It was also the first time that we had an honors assembly; I was not able to get an academic award, but I did get a club award. Because of this, I thought to myself, I am not good at academics only dancing.

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Because I knew that I was not good at academics, I did not strive to be the best or study that hard. I was a consistent dance club awardee, but never an honor student. This does not mean that I had low grades or was I failing, I was simply an average student. My parents never pushed me to get high grades, they simply pushed me to aim for my goals and do my best in everything. This shaped me into the hardworking person I am today.

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In 2015, my dad had a heart attack and I was the only one there with him. At that time, I felt like I was the person responsible for everything as a “panganay”, but I was left so helpless and scared.

A doctor approached me and comforted me. Her short, comforting, but such impactful words made a whole difference, positively impacting my life. The experience with my dad and the doctor talking to me led me to pursue medicine in the future. It became my goal to do better in academics because I need the knowledge to become a good doctor in the future.

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After all the hardwork, I was appointed as the Middle School Varsity Dance Team Captain. When I graduated, I was given a recognition in dance but though I did not get an academic award, my grades became higher.  2018 was also the year my sister entered middle school and joined dance club too.

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I joined Sayawatha Dance Troupe and became a varsity member. In high school, I wanted to focus on my academics, but I also wanted to dance, so I learned how to balance both. As a student athlete, I was not able to do much in terms of going out because I focused on my priorities: school and dance. Because I became more active in school and involved with the community, and through hard work and determination, I finally became a first-honor student.

My computer and IT subjects made me want to do IT Engineering instead of medicine, making me rethink my decisions and ultimately, crave for continuous discovery of myself and the world.

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Pandemic hits. Because I did not go out as much during my first and second year of high school, I felt like I missed out on a lot and that I was not able to really explore the world, as well as myself. But, seeing how doctors and nurses worked when COVID-19 was everything we were talking about, I saw myself to be in that position. It made me want to become a doctor again--- to sacrifice my well-being for the sake of others, to save and heal others.

My dad was working from home while my mom became a full-time housewife. Both my siblings and I were taking online classes. The lockdown and online set-up allowed my family and I to grow closer as we saw each other more often, ate with each other, and have movie or game nights.

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Entering 2021, my Grade 11 school year was almost ending and my senior year of high school was beginning. The pandemic made me feel like I  missed out on so many milestones for Senior High School students, such as Prom, Graduation Ball, etc.

This year, I was also accomplishing my college applications to the Big 4 of the Philippines and 2 schools from the U.S. I was researching and discovering, trying to figure what course is right for me and my future. So, as an aspiring medical professional, I applied to pre-medicine courses, such as BS Biology, BS Medical Biology, BS Health Sciences.

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Grade 12 was the year I tried my hardest and gave it my all. With all of the sleepless nights, daily breakdowns, and bursts of happiness, I was able to graduate my high school with High Honors. I was also given the opportunity to be the Team Captain of the Dance team for that school year.

Unlike others, I was not accepted into my preferred course (pre-medicine course) in Ateneo. When I received my letter, I felt so disheartened because I thought to myself that dreams will never come true, crying to my parents because I did not know what to do.

Now, I realize it’s all part of God’s plan. That I am to trust in Him, as well as myself, that things will turn out the way they are meant to be. I have been working hard to get high grades, not for anyone but for myself, to equip me with knowledge I need to reach my dream of becoming a renowned doctor in the future.

Sister is now in senior high school part of the same dance team I was and brother is playing basketball for Ateneo.

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Life, for me, has been full of so many events, experiences, challenges, and learnings that all have aimed to shape me into the best person I can be. Growing up, the active presence of my parents and grandparents in stage 1 allowed me to build a strong relationship with them as they have equipped me with the fundamental skills I need to live my life. Because of the freedom my parents gave me in stage 2, I tried to do things on my own and explored the world. As I have set goals for myself in stage 3, I learned to cope with the mistakes I made so that I can learn from them and grow even more. Unable to become an honor student like other students in stage 4, I focused more on improving on what I was confident in— dance. Becoming a student-athlete in stage 5, I learned to work hard and be disciplined to balance and excel in everything that I do.

I believe that every single moment in my life has happened for a reason. That what is meant for me is meant for me. Dance has been an evident part of my life, equipping me with the values of discipline, commitment, and collaboration that I believe are key to this next chapter— my journey to becoming a doctor. I disciplined myself to commit and memorize the steps to a routine, and I will dedicate my time to work hard and educate myself on the information about diseases and their treatments to help my patients. I have performed well under pressure during competitions, and I will execute procedures with composure even under unfavorable circumstances. I collaborated with my teammates to improve together, and I will work hand-in-hand with doctors to formulate better solutions to sicknesses.