“Caps, Gowns, and Gratitude: Celebrating My Son’s Graduation and a Parent’s Dream Fulfilled”
By Nancy D. Galang, MA
“The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.” - Michelle Obama
My youngest son, Rocky, who graduated October last year, recently asked me bakit daw hindi ko pino-post sa social media ang graduation picture niya. Ang sabi ko, I wanted na ibalita ito sa "Sambayanang Pilipino" through a blog entry (kaso ang hirap humanap ng oras magsulat). Paano, super proud ako hindi lang sa kanya at sa tatlo kong anak that they all have college degrees, kundi sa sarili ko din. Imagine...
NAKAPAGPATAPOS AKO NG APAT NA ANAK!
Sabi ko nga sa kanila, mag-ce-celebrate kami at magpa-party kasi super big milestone ito ng aming pamilya. Thanksgiving na din sana sa lahat ng mga tao who supported us in this journey. Kung hindi din naman dahil sa tulong at suporta ng mga kaibigan at pamilya, hindi kami makakarating sa finish line. Kaso hindi natuloy ang celebration, kasi ang eldest ko na si Nix, suddenly had to leave for the US.
 |
| Graduated October 2025 with a degree in Multimedia Arts from College of St. Benilde, De Las Salle (CSB) |
Talagang napakalaking achievement para sa akin ang makapagpatapos ng apat na anak sa college sa mga magaganda at maayos na eskwelahan. I am sure lahat ng magulang, ganito ang pakiramdam. Kahit nga iisa lang ang mapatapos, milestone na! Pero ako, apat. Hanggang ngayon napapaisip ako...
PAANO KO ITO NAGAWA?
Bago pa kasi ako naging "singled" at nasa HS pa ang tatlo kong anak, nasa College ang panganay at patapos na, ako na ang nagpapaaral sa kanila. That time, nag-quit sa trabaho ang asawa ko, at nag-decide na music na lang ang aatupagin niya. Yes, "desisyon siya". Hehe.
Kung sa bagay, hindi biro ang magpaaral ng 3 girls ko na anak sa isang exclusive school. Ang bunso ko na si Rocky, nasa co-ed, pero Montessori. So kahit dual income kami, kulang ang mga sweldo namin.
Until I got separated, so double whammy! And the biggest fear was, paano na? More than the fear of losing a husband, the first emotion was takot. Takot na ako lang mag-isa ang magtataguyod sa mga anak ko.
For a time, yung pagtuturo ko ng at pagtatrabaho ng full time sa Miriam College, gave me the privilege of discounts while they were in HS. Kaso nung college na, lumipat na sa ibang schools yung tatlo, so no more discounts.
PAANO KO NAIGAPANG, BILANG ISANG SINGLE MOM???
Madaming sleepless nights, yung di ka talaga makakatulog kakaisip paano ka makakabayad ng tuition fees. Anong paraan ang puwede? Kung makatulog man ako, it was because napagod na ang utak ko at wala pa ding solusyon!
Dinaanan ko "mag-beg, (except steal) and borrow", maging overworked kasi need rumaket here and there, lumapit sa mga kapatid, magulang, kaibigan, lending companies, loan sharks!
Maraming taon na ang pakiramdam, walang katapusan!
PERO NATAPOS DIN, AT AYAN NGA, NAKAPAGPATAPOS!!!
Rocky and me at the Marriot Hotel, October 27, 2025.
Madami akong natutunan at nalaman.
Una, TO EXPLORE ALL POSSIBILITIES. Dahil si Nadja, ang pangatlo kong anak, ang pinaka-academically gifted, I told her na mag-apply kami ng scholarship. Highschool pa lang siya, we were already given a scholarship. Hindi man 100 percent, malaking tulong pa din. After ng HS niya sa Miriam, she wanted to go to a university, and she took her exams in UP, Ateneo and College of St. Benilde, because she wanted to take up Architecture. The first thing I did was to call schools, and finally, Benilde opened up the idea of applying for a scholarship grant - and this brings me to the next lesson I learned in this journey. (by the way, pumasa din siya sa UP, at Ateneo pero at that time, hindi pa libre ang tuition fee sa UP, at sa Ateneo, mahigpit ang labanan sa financial aid).
THAT GOD WILL LINE UP PEOPLE FOR YOU. Sa unang step pa lang, I felt very blessed na mabait ang taong sumagot sa landline. I asked for financial aid, but he said mahaba ang pila at huwag na lang. And then he suggested, na kung maipapasa ng anak ko, mag-apply daw ng scholarship grant. Puwede namang sabihin, mahaba ang pila, period. But he was so generous to give me very valuable information. To make the long story short, my daughter passed all the requirements: 20 artworks in different forms, essay, and personal interview. The next person God used as an instrument to help us was the Head of the Architecture Program, who believed in the capablity and ability of my daughter (however, later, she decided to shift to Multimedia Arts). At alam niyo ba, ang inaasahan kong 50 percent grant, naging 100 percent?! Kaya't everytime mag-eenroll ang anak ko, 200 pesos lang ang hinihingi sa akin bilang processing fee!
And speaking of 100 percent, the third valuable lesson I learned was to LEARN TO SURRENDER TO GOD --- 100 percent. Iba yung praying hard sa surrendering ha. Ito yung moment na, alam mo wala ka nang magagawa bilang tao. Na-try mo na lahat. And then God makes a way! (when there seems to be no way!)
 |
| Nadja and me at PICC in July 2023. |
Maraming beses noon, parang wala na talagang paraan, pagkatapos may darating na solusyon, right at the exact time that you need it. Nung graduating si Nix, I needed 25k as last payment for her tuiton fee. Isang araw bago ang deadline, wala pa din akong solusyon. Pero right on the same day, nag-confirm ang isang client ko that they will get me as Trainor for 3 days in Tagaytay. Guess magkano ang PF ko? 50k! So eksakto, ang downpayment was 25k! The following day, proud na proud ako na magbayad ng last tuition fee ni panganay. Ngiting nanalo ng Ms. Universe! So every time dumadaan ako sa cashier's office ng Miriam College, this core memory pops up.
And you know what, I smile and feel grateful for that moment.
Nix at Miriam College in 2015
Ang susunod na natutunan ko was to be ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL MY DECISIONS AND ACTIONS. That it was all happening to me because I probably made some wrong decisions in life - because the moment I stopped feeling sorry for myself, the moment I stopped blaming my husband, the moment I stopped sa "pa-victim mentality", and the moment I took accountability, that was the time when I started to take the wheel and decide to just focus on solutions. And this is my next lesson.
FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS, AND NOT THE PROBLEM.
I used to dwell every time meron akong problema. But when this kind of challenge hits you, kailangan mabilis kumilos. Kailangan isip agad ng solusyon and act on it right away. Kapag mag-isa ka, malaki ang responsibilidad mo, lahat ng anak mo, nakaasa sa iyo, at hindi puwedeng dumilat ang mga mata nila dahil bagal-bagalan ako. So stop the drama, and just ACT!
And you know what, my next lesson was marami namang tutulong sa iyo. JUST LEARN TO ASK FOR HELP.
 |
| Nastassia at Colegio de San Lorenzo, 2019 |
Noong bata ako, hindi yata ako marunong humingi ng tulong. I was always independent and that was coupled with good provision from my parents. Ang focus ko lang, mag-aral, magpaka-student leader, minsan, mag-inarte!
But when I was placed in a lot of situations that I felt so helpless, God showed me that I did not have to fight my battles alone - I had friends and family. I was blessed with non-judger friends. I was blessed with a daughter who is very generous, that when she started working, she was always ready and available to help our family.
And ACCEPTANCE WAS ANOTHER LESSON. Lahat naman tayo may pagsubok, iba-iba lang ang degree at level. And the sooner we accept na nangyayari sa atin ang isang bagay, the more time we have to turn things around. So hindi ito acceptance na mawawalan ka na ng pag-asa ha. Hindi feeling of resignation, kundi yung feeling na ok ganito nangyayari, so snap out of it kaagad and do something.
Pero I guess the most important thing I learned was that PRAYER WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT thing that you can ask your friends and family to do for you. Because darating sa point na mapapagod ka. Darating sa point, sasabihin mo kay Lord, tama na po! Ang tagal na nitong pagsubok na toh! Ang tagal ko nang ganito. At darating sa point, hindi ka na makadasal. Pagod ka na. No words come out of your mouth. Not even thoughtful prayers. So this was my lesson, while not everyone can give you financial help, sasamahan ka nila magdasal.
AND THAT HELPED ME REALIZE MY MIRACLES THROUGH THIS JOURNEY.
Kaya itong milestone na ito, it is shared with everyone who was a part of the G Skwad's journey. Maraming salamat po sa inyo. At sa lahat ng mga Nan-sis ko na dumadaan pa sa ganitong pagsubok, keep the faith, continue soldiering on - because one day you will reach the finish line of sending your kids to school. Hanggang sa araw na iyon, kapit lang. Because our children’s dreams are always worth the journey.
 |
| Graduated 2015 with a degree in BA in Communication from Miriam College |
 |
| Graduated 2019 with a degree in Communication Arts, major in Broadcasting from Colegio de San Lorenzo |
Graduated in 2023 with a degree
in Multimedia Arts from College of St. Benilde, De La Salle (CSB)
Until then, catch you later!
Nancy Mommy
Comments
Post a Comment