Isang "hero's welcome-inspired motorcade” ang natanggap ni Abigail Garganta Ramirez mula sa kanyang alma mater.
Binigay ito ng St. Paul University Dumaguete (SPUD) kay Abigail bilang parangal sa pagiging Top 1 niya sa November 2022 Nurse Licensure Examination, kung saan nakakuha siya ng rating na 90 percent.
Nagtapos naman si Abigail ngayong taon sa SPUD bilang magna cum laude.
Isinagawa ang motorcade sa kabuuan ng Dumaguete City noong December 8, 2022.
Noong May 27, 2022, ilang linggo bago ang kanyang graduation ay nag-post si Abigail sa Facebook ng graduation photo.
Ang caption ng post (published as is): “Have I come this far?
“College went by fast [or so it seems now] and, honestly, for the past four years, I have just been trying to survive one day at a time.
“And one night when I had too much coffee, this thought kept on lingering in my mind—Have I really come this far?”
Dagdag pa niya, noong high school ay wala sa isip niya ang pagkuha ng kursong nursing.
“And yet here I am, a senior who’s grad-waiting in about two weeks. Thankful for that detour back in first year college because I couldn’t imagine missing out on everything I’ve been through.
“I’m glad I found my way to this course and proud to have made it my unceasing priority.”
Naging inspirasyon ni Abigail ang kanyang kuya na si Alec Benjamin, na Top 1 sa 2017 Geologist Licensure Examination.
Pagbabahagi ni Abigail tungkol sa kanyang Kuya Alec, "I made him as my role model. I wanted to be like him, so, talagang nagsumikap ako in my own way.
“Inspirasyon ko rin naman ang ibang mga kapatid ko. Pero dahil kami yung mas magkakalapit ng edad, siya ang mas nakita kong motivation.”
Malaki rin ang pasasalamat ni Abigail sa kanyang mga magulang.
"Even when we were little, our parents supported our academics."
Aminado si Abigail na malaking tulong ang pagdarasal sa kanyang paghahanda sa nursing board exam.
Aniya, "Non-negotiable po talaga ang prayer. So, even after the examinations, while waiting, we still continued to pray as a group via Discord [chat app]."
Bukod naman sa motorcade, nakatanggap din si Abigail ng mga regalo—bagong motorsiklo, MacBook, at tseke—mula sa SPUD.
Plano niyang magturo sa SPUD bilang clinical instructor, at maging bahagi ng kanyang alma mater sa paghubog ng mga susunod na nursing students.
Payo niya sa mga gustong sumunod sa kanyang yapak, "Nursing is really a hard profession. It may break you a couple of times.
“But just trust the process, trust the hardships that you are going to face because these will help you become stronger."
Binanggit din ni Abigail na isang fulfilling profession ang pagiging nurse.
Gayunpaman, hangad niyang pagtuunan ng pansin ng pamahalaan ang kalagayan at working conditions ng mga nurse at iba pang healthcare professionals.
Ani Abigail, “I still have hope that it can be changed.”