29/08/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ง๐ข ๐
๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐: โ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง, ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฒ: ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐โ
Meet ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ณ-๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ง, LPT, a proud alumna of Mindanao State UniversityโIligan Institute of Technology whose journey as an ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ, media professional, researcher, and community leader reflects resilience, resourcefulness, and a deep commitment to service. From overcoming financial challenges while pursuing her degree at MSU-IIT to building a career in education and community leadership in the United States, she continues to use her experiences to inspire others, support fellow Filipino educators, and create opportunities for those around her.
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๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ค, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ?
My years at MSU-IIT taught me two things that continue to shape who I am today: resilience and resourcefulness.
My college journey was not easy, not because I lacked the ability to succeed, but because I was challenged financially. I was initially enrolled at a university in Cagayan de Oro when my father was involved in a car accident. At that time, even putting food on our table was a struggle, and I had to stop pursuing my degree.
But I refused to let that be the end of my story. I took the SET in Marawi and was fortunate to get the last available slot in the AB English program at MSU-IIT. At that point, I did not have much, only the determination to finish my degree.
I remember selling lumpia, peanut butter, soya milk, and other products. I would bring them from Cagayan de Oro to Iligan on a two-hour bus ride, packed inside an ice box. It was heavy, literally and figuratively. For years, I also tutored students after my classes. I balanced work with reading countless pages, completing projects and assignments, and simply finding ways to get through each day. Those experiences taught me that success is not always about having the most resources; sometimes, it is about making the most of what you have.
Today, whenever my career becomes difficult, I remember where I started. MSU-IIT gave me more than a degree. It gave me the foundation to keep going when circumstances tell me to stop, to find solutions when resources are limited, and to believe that difficult seasons do not have to define the rest of my life. My journey at MSU-IIT taught me that nothing is impossible when you are willing to work for it, adapt, and keep moving forward.
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๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ?
The most rewarding part of my journey is knowing that, in some way, I have touched a life, encouraged a dream, or helped someone believe in what is possible for them.
As an educator, I have had the privilege of serving students from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and values. It can be challenging, but watching students grow in confidence, overcome obstacles, succeed academically, and eventually thrive in life makes every challenge worthwhile.
Beyond the classroom, helping fellow Filipinos in the United States has also been a privilege. Being one of the younger Filipina teachers in the Tucson Unified School District has taught me that leadership and mentorship are not defined by age. They are defined by the willingness to share, serve, and lift others.
I have learned that when we share our knowledge, techniques, and experiences with fellow Filipino educators, we do not diminish our own success, we strengthen our entire community.
One of the things I find most inspiring is seeing bayanihan continue even thousands of miles away from home. Filipinos helping Filipinos, opening doors for one another, sharing what they know, and celebrating each other's victories reminds me that success becomes more meaningful when it creates opportunities for others.
For me, the greatest reward is not simply being able to say, โI made it.โ It is being able to say, โBecause I made it, I can help someone else make it, too.โ
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๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ?
My journey has taught me that success is not something we achieve alone. Every opportunity I have received has also given me the opportunity to learn, serve, and eventually help others.
Whether inside the classroom, through media, or in the Filipino educator community, I have learned that our experiences become more meaningful when we use them to create opportunities for others. My work with fellow Filipino educators has shown me the importance of sharing knowledge, supporting one another, and continuing the spirit of bayanihan even when we are thousands of miles away from home.
Being one of the younger Filipina teachers in the Tucson Unified School District also taught me that leadership and mentorship are not defined by age. They are defined by the willingness to share, serve, and lift others.
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๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ง๐ข ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ?
My secret to success is what I call the 3 P's: Plan, Persevere, and Pray.
First, Plan. Know where you want to go. Research. Study. Learn the steps required to reach your goals, and then begin with the smallest step you can take today. You do not have to see the entire staircase, sometimes, you simply have to take the first step.
Second, Persevere. Life will not always move at the pace you want. I did not become successful overnight, and I certainly did not have an easy path. I learned that there is no elevator to success, we often have to take the stairs. It may take longer than we hoped, and sometimes we may have to climb while tired, discouraged, or uncertain. But keep going. Padayon.
Do it tired. Do it afraid. Do it even when you are not sure you can. Sometimes, courage is simply choosing to take one more step.
Finally, Pray. Work hard, but also trust that your journey has a greater purpose. Believe that you are capable of becoming more, and believe that your life can become a source of help, hope, and light to others. Your journey may look completely different from someone else's and that is okay. You do not have to follow someone else's timeline to fulfill your own purpose.
To my fellow MSU-IIT alumni and to every student who is still dreaming: Do not be discouraged by where you are today. Your circumstances are not the measure of your potential. Plan your path. Persevere through the difficult seasons. Pray through the uncertainties. And when you finally reach the heights you once prayed for, do not forget to look back and bring someone with you.
Because perhaps the greatest measure of success is not how high we rise, but how many people we help rise with us.
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๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ณ-๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ง, LPT, is an English educator, media professional, researcher, and community leader who earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from MSU-IIT in 2019. She has worked across education and media, including teaching, research, communication, broadcasting, and leadership roles, and currently serves as President of GATE Arizona and Arizona Program Director of UNIFFIED, supporting Filipino educators through professional development and community programs. Her work has earned her several recognitions, including the 2026 Presidential Award from the United Federation of Filipino American Educators Arizona Chapter and the 2025 UNIFFIED Service International Award.
