"I THOUGHT the result was fake news."
That was Justin Lei Ramos's initial reaction when she learned that she passed the January 2019 Architecture Licensure Examination, let alone snagging the top spot.
Ramos was the only graduate from the Visayas to have entered the Top 10 of the said examination.
A graduate of the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U), Ramos revealed to SunStar Cebu that she thought she failed the exam.
"The exam was very hard," she said. "Only 10-20 percent of what I reviewed actually came out of the exam."
Looking back, Ramos was disappointed after taking the exam because there were portions of the test where she failed to make the right computations and where she relied on her instincts.
"When I got home, I told my parents that if I failed, I hope they would still accept me." Her fears stemmed from the challenges she had to face in her life.
Ramos was the daughter of an overseas Filipino worker father and a homemaker mother. She said growing up was not easy especially when she entered college.
"I first took up Medical Technology. It was my mother's dream for me since she was a nurse. No matter how hard I tried, the medical field really just wasn't for me," she said.
She once considered herself a failure for not meeting her parents' expectations.
"Dako kaayo ang nagasto sa akong parents unya magshift-shift ra. It was one of the saddest moments of my life." But she had to do something to pick herself up. She had to dig deeper into herself and asked what she really wanted.
"Architecture. I always knew I had the knack in designing. I had to prove to myself and to my parents that I will not be a failure," she said.
About a year ago, difficulities continued to sway her as her father got laid off from his work in Saudi Arabia. Her family struggled financially and it took a toll on her.
But she knew she had to stay strong. She simply made God and her parents her main motivation.
"Before I study, I always pray to God. After I study, I always pray to God. Without my faith in Him, I would've given up a long time ago...And to my parents, who are always very supportive, taking their time to make me coffee, to help me wake up, and taking me to my school... I am very thankful I have them," she said.
The family now boasts of their first architect.
The Professional Regulation Commission announed that out of the 1,990 who took the Architecture Licensure Examination, only 1,120 passed.
"Focus on your goal," she advised aspiring architects. "Take time to pray and take time to relax."