I am in my early 50s with three children who are currently studying at university. My primary interest is in Humanities, more particularly in the area of Philosophy, Sociology and Religious Studies. Secondary interests are entrepreneurship and marketing. Although I have a degree in Religious Studies, I recently completed an accelerated program/degree in Business Administration focusing on Operations Management.

I was drawn to the idea of learning more about the current business practices from an international/global perspective and comparing them to the practices we have here in the Philippines. Secondly, the tuition fee at Athena is also more or less the same as in universities in the Philippines. Thirdly, because of my spinal problem, work, and studies all accumulated together, an online program was the most suitable for me to pursue an MBA. I am so fortunate to have found Athena Global Education.

It is too early for me to say if the program has met my expectations since I just started my second module. So far, the course materials were better than expected (although I noticed some minor typographical grammatical issues). The references were very useful.

I haven’t thought about it yet but I am considering getting a Masters degree in Philosophy as a matter of personal interest and passion. As for the next career step, I would probably set up a small business on property management and teach on the side.

Because of the pandemic, our company happens to be among those badly affected since we are into services and I have to forgo work for now. The most enjoyable part of my work is getting to interact with different kinds of people and gaining new friends along the way. Many of them have become close to our family.

My greatest strength is probably my outlook on life despite the many hardships I went through from a very young age. I was a street vendor, a laborer, and a student activist. When I got married, we started with nothing...I was also sickly. Today, despite my spinal condition, I am still hopeful and always looking forward to a productive day. I believe that life is full of sacrifices. These sacrifices are a way of telling us to rise above them rather than yielding. I seek inspiration from the fact that this life is all about our love for our family and it is something worth living for no matter what happens.

When I was about 7 years old, I was not only given a second life, but a third life. I fell from the roof but my mom caught me. I almost drowned and my cousin saved me. To many people, these things or experiences may be very traumatic. But to me, these are memories of divine intervention and nothing short of miracles.

I have always wanted to go to New Zealand. I am fascinated by the movie, The Lord of the Rings. A part of the movie shows the life and beauty of The Shire -- the simple and happy folks and the seemingly obscure origins of their culture and sense of community.

I think my role model would have to be David Foster. He is not only a professional in the field of music but also a genius in his domain. A very prolific writer-composer and arranger rolled into one. Another one is John Williams, the man behind the popular movie themes we know like Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, and many other masterpieces. What makes them special is their discipline, and quest for perfection to deliver the kind of music that touches the emotions of their listeners.

It would be very interesting to be on a road trip with JRR Tolkien and get to know how he pieced together the most fascinating, heart-rending story, The Lord of the Rings, ever told in modern literature.

My experiences are not something special but I would like to share nonetheless what I believe are learnings from the experiences I have had -- hope and determination. I strongly believe that these two attributes are crucial to everyday life, which we haven’t cultivated enough in order to rise to the occasion in the face of our own struggles.