A Street Vendor before, now a Licensed Criminologist

If I would look for a very inspiring story of sacrifice, success, compassion and God's love and guidance, I would always look up to a story of this woman named "Ate Lucy".

I have known Ate Lucy since college days because she was selling mango slices along the street outside our campus. When I started working in the same school, every noon break I liked to spend time in her stall. I bought mango slices and loved to dip it in her homemade "alamang" sauce. I also enjoyed spending time chitchatting with her about her life experiences. She's from Manila and because she married somebody from Mati, she now lived here.

There was a time that I saw her with many review papers, she was actually studying for an examination for Alternative Learning System (ALS) for elementary. This DepEd program provide opportunity for out-of-school youth and adult (OSYA) to complete basic education. Ate Lucy was not able to graduate elementary and she was so happy that she passed for the Elementary through the ALS program of DepEd.

After the ALS for elementary, she also enrolled in the ALS program for high school. While studying, she was also selling mango slices , guava, santol and other kakanin. While doing that, she was also taking care of their only child and supporting her husband to finish college. To make the story short, she finished the ALS program and passed the examination that paved her way to get a chance to study in college.

She enrolled in the college taking up Bachelor of Science in Criminology. She was in uniform while selling mango slices, sometimes she will ask someone to help her in her stall and sometimes her classmates would be the vendors while she was still having a class. I can see her struggles but I love her zeal to move forward. Her husband was able to finish college and was able to land a job, but they separated. (I don't exactly remember the details of the separation)I know how painful it was for her but she move forward together with her son.

She was able to graduate the BS in Criminology course, self supporting and with God's guidance. After schooling, she was hired as Job Order/Contractual in the college. She do clerical jobs and eventually left her mango stall. She also engaged in Direct Selling in Tupperware brand. She also do live selling for preloved items, curtains, cooking ware and many more.

She tried to take the Licensure Examination for Criminologists but failed many times. Just this year, she took her last chance for taking the examination and praise God she PASSED! She is now a licensed criminologist! I really cried when I saw the post of her teacher, friend and reviewer that she passed.

Her story is indeed a story of endurance, faith and grace. Her story is a testimony that the Lord has its own timing for everything. She may have the struggles in her life but she did not let it hinder her in achieving her dreams. There's nothing impossible with God. She is thankful to the Lord for the wisdom and sustaining strength; to her family, friends and people who believed in her capabilities and who showed her the love and support that she need.

Whatever she achieved today, she will never forget that once in her life, she was a street vendor and she will always be proud of it.

7.31.2022

~MizLhaine