I was born and raised in the Philippines. I grew up in a remote area where oral healthcare is the least concern. My life experiences taught me a lot of things. My parents struggled to provide the basic needs, but they always pushed us to work hard for education. My parents weren’t able to fulfill their dreams, not even finishing elementary school. It’s not that they didn’t want it but because their parents couldn’t afford them to send them to school. Starting at an early age, I had to learn how to make a living to support myself and help with finances of my family. I learned to be responsible at the age of 10. Instead of playing with other kids, I had to work on farms and in sugarcane fields. Despite all these challenges, I graduated from elementary and high school as a salutatorian. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamt of obtaining a degree. I started two bachelor’s degree in the Philippines but wasn’t able to finish either of them because I had to work three jobs to support my studies and my two younger siblings who were also in college at that time. I was able to help two of my siblings finish their bachelor’s degree and another one is graduating this month. I consider this as one of my greatest accomplishments.

My journey in the dental hygiene program was not easy. Finding patients was difficult. On top of that, my father had a stroke and my mother had a heart attack last year. I was on the edge of giving up last semester. I will always remember one of the professors (Prof. Macarelli) who helped me to get through all of my struggles. She motivated me not to give up and work harder.

I worked four years as a dental assistant and within those years, I was devoted to my job. My friend who is a dental hygienist motivated me to pursue the dental hygiene. I like working in the dental office and helping patients take care of their oral health is very rewarding. I know my parents are very proud of me considering I am going to be the first dental hygienist in the family. After graduation, the first thing I want to do is to visit again the place where I grew up and educate the children about oral health. When I was growing up, I never had any dental checkups and lost some of my teeth at an early age. I don’t want these children to have the same experience I had. My learning experience in Citytech is remarkable and I am grateful to share the knowledge I have learned.