Nursing graduate Shannara Tamayao, 22, truly made her parents proud when she earned a place in the November 2016 Nursing board exam.
Her dad Mario Castro, a welder, and mom Bernadette, who makes a living selling empanadas have sacrificed a lot to put Shannara and her two younger siblings to school.
According to a feature on ABS-CBN News, Shannara grew up knowing that they were not well off and so her parents had to work hard to provide for their education.
This knowledge inspired her to work hard herself, finishing her studies and passing the Nursing Licensure Exams.
"Itinuturing ko talaga na bonus kasi hiling ko lang ay pumasa, pero binigyan niya ako ng rank na top 10..."
Shannara has always been a good student, who earned consistent honors throughout her education. She finished her BS Nursing degree at the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.
Out of 14,332 Nursing graduates who took the exam, only 6,836 passed. Shannara claimed the top 10 spot with a grade of 84.6%.
"Itinuturing ko talaga na bonus kasi hiling ko lang ay pumasa, pero binigyan niya ako ng rank na top 10," the newly Registered Nurse marveled in an interview with ABS-CBN.
But the 22-year-old remains humble despite all the academic achievements. "Yung mga congratulations ay hindi para sa akin, para sa mga parents ko kasi sila ang may deserve ng mga congratulations sa akin. Kasi in the first place, sila ang nagpakahirap ken dahilan kung nasaan kami ngayon," she told ABS-CBN news.
She happily shared that the coming Holidays will truly be the best for her and her five close friends who passed the Boards as well.
READ: Underprivileged student Iah Seraspi becomes LET topnotcher
Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from theAsianparent.com Philippines!