AS SHE enters the corporate world, and with the recognition she is having after her viral social media post, Cherry Toledo, 20, is all gratitude.
Toledo, who hails from Danao, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Psychology Saturday, March 30.
Toledo doesn't see financial difficulties as a hindrance for a person to succeed.
Appreciation, especially to her parents, whom she considers her inspiration despite not being able to financially support her college schooling, is what Toledo holds in herself.
“Even though wala mo (parents) naka support nako, you guys should not feel sad. Thankful gihapon ko kon unsa ko nga person karon kay the situation we have helped me to become independent and to be the person that I am today,” she shared.
(Even though my parents didn't support me financially, you guys should not feels sad. I am always thankful as our situation helped me become independent and become the person I am today.)
As the eldest of the two children of separated parents, with her father in prison and her mother having another family, she has learned to become independent at an early age of 18.
According to her, starting from her second year in college, she had to be a student by day, fast food service crew at night to be able to sustain herself and pay for food and monthly house rentals in the city.
This required a lot of sacrifice and dedication on her part.
Toledo admitted that she had to manage her time very well as she had to jump from her school to her on-the-job training (OJT) to the fast food restaurant she is working, with only an hour each in-between.
“Wala na kaayo ko'y time sa akong self kay klase lang 'nya naa ra'y one hour nga vacant, dagan-dagan na sd ko adto sa OJT. Then after one hour na sad dagan dagan na sad ko andam para sa McDo na sad,” she said.
(I didn't have the time for myself as I always sprint from my class to where I do my OJT, with only an hour of vacant time in between. After an hour, I had to hurry and prepare myself to work in McDo.)
To add to the list of things she is great at, Toledo is also a student leader, a beauty queen, and a member of their university’s Reserved Officers’ Training Corps.
She revealed that one of the weapons that helped her rummage through her busy schedule is good old-fashioned pen and planner.
“I have a planner, one page for one day. The upper part is dedicated for the things I have to accomplish in school for that day, while the lower part is for my internship and work,” Toledo shared.
Toledo is also very grateful that she was selected for the Aboitiz College Scholarship Program.
Toledo believes that the values of patience and flexibility she acquired from both school and work settings have equipped her in her endeavors in the future.
“There are times nga rude ang customer or dugay maka-order. Naanad na ko to always have a positive attitude so that the customer will be happy and satisfied. Applying patience as a future psychologist, that is very essential. In psychology you also have to be patient with your clients and wait for them to open up to you,” she said.
Toledo, who also dreams of becoming a flight attendant someday, sees herself as a clinical psychologist three years from now.
“I plan to take my masters degree in clinical Psychology. Then take the board exam for psychologists,” she said.