CEBU, Philippines — Ma. Nida Moran Suarez was one of the top notchers of the October 2022 Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET).
But she was no ordinary top notcher because this mom from Dalaguete town in southern Cebu is already 65 years old.
The LET Elementary Level top notcher obtained a 92.60 rating and admits that her no. 1 inspiration is her son who also took the exam and passed it with her.
“My inspiration in life is my son. I want him to be somebody in the future, one with a noble profession, and serve humanity using such profession,” she told CDN Digital.
That is why I took education with him though I was supposed to graduate ahead of him due to my credited units in my previous college years,” she added.
Her proud son Bezaleel James Moran, who also passed the recent LET exam with her, took to social media to share his mom’s inspiring story.
“Madaming course si mama noong college time niya. Palagi siyang nagshift, hanggang sa nagka-anak sya. Nagfocus nalang sya sa pag-aalaga sa akin. Naging full-time mom nalang sya at nagwork ng kahit anong trabaho para makaprovide lang po. Hanggang sa lumaki ako at nagcollege na. Dati pa po nyang pangarap maging Top Notcher at maging Journalist,” he told CDN Digital
“Sa edad na 59 nag desisyon na syang mag tapos ng pag-aaral at para sa self-fulfillment na makapagtapos sya simula 2nd sem 2015. Nagraduate sya noong 2020 at dahil sa COVID-19 walang filing that time kaya sabay kaming nakapagtake ng exam ngayong October 2022.”
Suarez earned her degree in Elementary Education from the University of the Visayas-Dalaguete Campus in 2020 while Moran obtained his degree from the University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Northern Samar in 2021.
Message to inspiring teachers and the youths
Moran encourages all aspiring teachers not to give up on their dreams.
“Fight for your dreams and don’t let anyone stop you from achieving them. It is your dream, not theirs. Also, you have to dream big! If you don’t get nervous thinking about your dream, well your dream isn’t deep enough,” he said.
Suarez, on the other hand, advises aspiring teachers to value time and to make the best out of it.
“Use your learning may you be in your freshman or senior years in college or a graduate. Let your light shine and illumine the world through your teachings. The darkness of ignorance and poverty can be diminished by the knowledge you share,” she said.
Indeed, a mother and son goals!
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