louisse

I am a third-year college student who is learning how to survive and build a future with my own hands. My journey has never been easy. I grew up without my parents beside me, and there are days when I deeply feel the emptiness of not having someone I can depend on. While other students can call their parents when they need help, encouragement, or financial support, I have had to learn how to find those things within myself.
Being a college student is already challenging, but being responsible for myself while studying has made my journey even harder. I work online to help support myself and continue paying for the things I need for school and everyday life. It is not always easy to balance work, studies, responsibilities, and the emotional weight that I carry. There are nights when I am exhausted, times when I question whether I can continue, and moments when I wish life could be a little easier for me.
But whenever I feel like giving up, I remind myself of the reason I am doing all of this.
I want to become a teacher.
Becoming a teacher is not just a career I chose. It is a dream that gives meaning to the sacrifices I make today. I want to finish my degree, stand in front of a classroom someday, and become someone who can make a difference in a student’s life. Maybe because I know what it feels like to struggle, I want to become the kind of teacher who understands students who are silently fighting battles that nobody sees.
I know what it feels like to go to school while carrying problems that have nothing to do with academics. I know what it feels like to smile even when things are difficult. I know what it means to keep going when there is no one waiting to tell you, “You can do it.” And perhaps these experiences will someday help me become a more understanding and compassionate teacher.
I am not perfect. I get tired. I cry. I become scared about my future. Sometimes I wonder how much longer I can carry everything on my own. But even when I am tired, I still wake up and continue. I still attend my classes. I still work. I still try to take care of myself. I still hold on to my dream.
I don’t want people to look at my story and simply feel sorry for me. I want them to understand how hard I have worked to get this far. Every semester I survive, every school requirement I finish, every peso I earn, and every sacrifice I make is proof that I am trying my best to create a better life for myself.
I may not have the kind of support that many people have, but I have determination. I have dreams. I have learned to depend on myself, and I have discovered a strength in me that I never knew existed.
I am only a third-year college student right now, but I have already carried responsibilities that have made me grow faster than I expected. I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I know what I am fighting for. I want to graduate. I want to become a teacher. I want to build a life where I no longer have to constantly worry about whether I will make it through another day.
Someday, when I finally stand inside my own classroom as a teacher, I hope I will remember the girl who struggled to get there—the girl who worked while studying, who cried in silence, who had to be strong for herself, and who kept going even when life gave her every reason to stop.
That girl is me.
And no matter how difficult my journey becomes, I will keep choosing to move forward. Because this is not the end of my story. I am still becoming the person I have always dreamed of being.