EDUCATION: KEY TO MILLIONS OF DOORS

JOCELYN P. GOPEZ

“What do you want to be when you grow up? In what places do you want to go to? Do you like to build a house for your family? “These are some of the questions my relatives asked me when I was a kid. Questions that lingered in my ear as I grow up. Questions which I used as weapons to achieve what I have right now. I am a teacher, proud to say, I am!

I grew up in a very poor family of 7. We have lived a simple life .“Isang kahig, Isang tuka” as they say. But this did not hinder me to go on with life. My parents always tell me to stop from schooling because I had to give way for my 2 older siblings to finish college due to financial constraints.

My heart told me not to. I had to do it on my own. With full eagerness to finish school, I had to work double time as a researcher in the morning and study in the evening. It was not that easy to be in that situation but thinking that it will be a lot difficult if I will not finish college, I did not lose hope. With faith in God and willingness to finish college, everything seemed to be reachable. Until my dream came into reality, I FINISHED COLLEGE ON MY OWN!

If I wasn’t that eager that time, where will I be now? EDUCATION is really a treasure which nobody can rob from us. It will stay in us and will serve us our KEY for many doors to open. Doors which will serve as opportunities for us to achieve more not only for ourselves but for other people too. Education is a gift from God and so we have to use it in helping our fellowmen and for the glory of our Almighty Creator.

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The author is Teacher III at Sindalan Elementary School