Mistulang "heaven and hell" ang college journey ni Nevien Siquira Mariz Dinopol Dandoy.
Pero hindi siya nagpatalo sa mga hamon ng buhay.
Si Nevien, 22, ay produkto ng Colegio de San Francisco Javier of Rizal, Zamboanga del Norte, Inc. (CSFJRI), at nagtapos noong June 29, 2022, bilang cum laude at college salutatorian.
Tubong New Dapitan, Rizal, Zamboanga del Norte, si Nevien ang Top 2 sa September 2022 Social Worker Licensure Examination, at may rating na 88.20 percent.
At naging very open si Nevien nang balikang-tanaw niya sa kanyang panayam sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) ang mga highs and lows ng kanyang buhay.
Nangyari ang palitan ng messages noong September 30, 2022 sa pamamagitan ng Facebook Messenger.
Kuwento niya, “I was born out of wedlock, thus, an illegitimate daughter.
“I was not given support by my father, nor was I legally acknowledged.”
Nang magtrabaho sa Japan ang kanyang ina na si Marisel, ipinagkatiwala siya nito sa kanyang mga kamag-anak, na itinuring siyang pamilya.
“I had been living with Mama Elmie and Papa Cayong since then. Her children, namely, Rexes, Regie, and Richel Pagente treated me as their youngest sibling and supported me all throughout my life.”
"disappointing behavior"
Nang magkolehiyo ay gusto sana ni Nevien na kumuha ng political science, psychology, o education.
“My family did not give me permission to go to far places to get a degree for fear that I may not be able to graduate due to my disappointing behavior.”
Hindi na siya nag-elaborate, pero isang pangyayari sa kanyang buhay ang nagkaroon ng malaking epekto sa kanyang buhay kolehiyo.
Aniya, “I hesitantly enrolled in social work since the course also tackles laws and theories protecting and advocating for the welfare of the marginalized sectors.”
“Heaven and hell” kung i-describe niya ang kanyang buhay kolehiyo.
“It was hell as I had to juggle my studies and personal disturbances.”
Nakaranas siya ng diskriminasyon sa kanilang lugar.
Pagtatapat niya, “I became one of the many cases of teenage pregnancy during 2016.”
Sa kasamaang palad, nagkaroon din siya ng miscarriage.
Malaki ang naging epekto ng pangyayaring ito sa kanyang mga aktibidad at pakikisalamuha sa mga tao.
“Because of their personal prejudices which were only based on rumors.
“A lot look down on me; however, a few supported me constantly.”
BUMANGON SA PAGKAKADAPA
Hindi naging madali ang pagbangon niya mula sa pagkakadapa, pero imbes na malugmok ay mas lalo siyang nagsumikap.
“I had to do better in my academics to prove to the people once more that I am a person of worth even when I went through the difficulties I’ve experienced.
“Even when I had a boyfriend, I felt the judgmental looks of the people around us, quietly saying I’ll once again drop from my pedestal.”
Naging “heaven” naman ito sa kanya dahil nagpokus siya sa pag-aaral, at naging consistent Dean’s Lister.
Lumiit ang kanyang tuition fee, at naging grantee ng TES-UniFAST Program for 4 years.
Nabigyan din siya ng Caritas Scholarship, at naka-avail pa ng academic scholarship sa kanyang school.
Dahil na rin sa nasira niya ang reputasyon ng pamilyang nag-aaruga sa kanya, hindi na rin siya umasa ng tulong pinansyal sa kanila.
“They were never really obligated to take care of me for most of my life, so I had to help myself as well.”
NAMAGA ANG MUKHA SA HIRAP NG BOARD EXAM
Nang maka-graduate ay na-hire si Nevien ng CSFJRI para magturo sa College of Social Work and Development Studies.
Dahil dito, mas pressured siya nang kumuha ng board exam. Sa Dipolog City pa kasi siya nag-review.
“I had no time to review at home every night due to tiredness from work.”
A week before the exam, nag-file siya ng leave para makapokus sa review.
Pagdating ng board exam, mas mahirap pa aniya ang practice tests and mock board sa kanilang review center.
“I am not trying to brag, but in our review center, we were always given tests that were so difficult that along the way, we understood the concepts.”
Pero aminado si Nevien na mahirap pa rin talaga ang board exam, at inisip niyang may isang subject na baka 60 lang ang kanyang score.
“Overall, it was one hell of an exam that had my face swollen due to a big acne after the first day’s difficulty!”
INIALAY ANG TAGUMPAY KINA MAMA ELMIE AND PAPA CAYONG
Hindi niya inaasahan na magiging topnotcher siya, pero lagi niyang iyong ipinagdarasal.
“That’s because they said that if we only aim to ‘just pass,’ we won’t be able to pass at all.
“Yet, if we aim to ‘top,’ we will surely pass because of the effort we’d put into it.”
Nang lumabas ang result at Top 2 siya, inisip niyang baka nagkaroon lang ng error.
“Like a glitch or typo. I thought that maybe it was not yet the final list of the topnotchers, given that UP Diliman was on top.”
Pero napakarami na raw ng bumabati sa kanya, kaya sinabi niya sa kanyang partner na i-check mabuti kung legit ang source.
“I was not even able to cry because the news had not yet sunk in.
“I really thought I was just dreaming because I was about to sleep that night when I found out in our group chat that the results were already out with my name flashed on rank 2.”
Inialay ni Nevien ang tagumpay sa kanyang pamilya na aniya’y sa kabila ng mga nagawa niyang disappointments ay minahal siya lagi nang sobra.
Special mention kay Nevien ang kanyang Papa Cayong.
Aniya, “And to my father figure who I dearly loved and treated me as the princess of the family before, Papa Cayong, who passed away last 2013.”
Nagpasalamat din si Nevien sa mga nagmahal sa kanya nang totoo, at sa Diyos na laging may biyaya para sa kanya.
Sa ngayon ay full-time teacher si Nevien bukod sa pagiging Guidance Advocate and GAD Focal Person ng CSFJRI.
Plano niyang kumuha ng master's degree sa social work, maghanap ng high-paying job, at mas mahasa pa ang kanyang skills.
“I am beyond grateful for everything that has happened to me, good and bad, as they were able to help me reach the impossible dream now made into reality.”
Ang payo niya sa mga kabataang gustong kumuha ng social work, “’Ika nga ng mga propesor namin, most especially Dr. Jose G. Mante, ‘How can you give water to the thirsty when you have nothing to give?’
“Thus, if you wish to take social work, learn what you can, ingrain them in both heart and mind, and do what you have learned wholeheartedly.
“This isn’t just a matter of giving ‘bugas ug tinapa,’ [bigas at sardinas] but a matter of serving the community with a purpose in line to His mission for us.”