Page 15 - MAGAZINE

I'm Princess Alyanna Lian and I just graduated
last semester with the course Associate in
Computer Technology. A lot of people might
think it was easy since it was only a 2-year
course, but I've actually been through a lot before
it. Five years ago, I started going to college with
the course Bachelor of Science in Information
Technology. I enjoyed it more than anyone else,
making programming something fun and
challenging for me to do.

After one semester, I needed to stop due to
financial problems in the family. Still wanting to
go on, I sold every luxurious things my
grandmother has given me a few years ago, even
the ring she gifted me for me for my 18th
birthday. I had no other choice. I really wanted to
go on no matter what. But life isn't as easy as 1,2,3.
After that sem, I had no choice, still, but to stop.
My family went through financial crisis because
my parents resigned from work, thinking their
business would be successful but it failed After about a year, my mom has decided to go to
in the end. We ended up eating nothing by been Vietnam, her home country. She went there to be
sprouts for lunch and dinner. a teacher because she knows we wouldn't survive
this way and our family eating bean sprouts will
Yes, we only had meal twice a day. It was hard to never stop. I also only earned around 8,000 pesos
see my family suffer so I have decided to start a month, so it wasn't a big help at all.
working. I worked as a barista and
cashier on a cafe at SM Calamba. I have epilepsy, After a few months, I came back to school but
so getting too tired and starving must never be everything was already different due to K-12
done, but I did it in order to save money. Multiple program. I needed to either start from the top or
times, I fainted at work. Thankfully, my boss saw continue my course as an irregular student. I
how hard-working and dedicated I am, so she chose to continue as an irregular student with a
never thought about firing me despite my 2year course instead, not wanting to cause so
sickness. much burden to my family. While studying,
things were hard for me, especially when we
started doing thesis.
After a couple of months of working, the cafe
closed due to low sales. I then needed to move There was a time when I just wanted to die and I
and live alone at Lipa, Batangas to work at the cried nonstop while programming because I did
branch there instead. It was really hard for me almost everything for the whole group. It was too
for I've never tried living alone all my life. Not to much for me to take, but I had no choice because
mention, I was just a bed spacer so I had if I won't, we'll sure fail.
roommates. I had a very hard time sleeping at
first because I felt too empty inside. I cried on my Again, I skipped meals and stayed at the
first nights there alone but later on, I've gotten computer laboratory to finish the program
used to it. But It was either I'll eat nothing or I'll
have one instant noodles in the afternoon. I had during lunch breaks. I also go
nothing, I had no one, but I stayed strong, there after class to do my other homeworks and
thinking my family and I must survive. I know I'm projects because of the fact that I didn't have my
not emotionally strong, but I stayed and did my own computer at home.
best for them all.
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