CEBU, Philippines—It is notable that for many students, taking the board exams and passing on the first take are among their major goals after college graduation.
After all, getting a license to practice the profession you dreamed of is fulfilling. Plus, passing the board exams is very rewarding.
However, not everyone travels through the same route.
Lynette Refugio, at 38 years old, was one of many aspirants who took the licensure exam for teachers (LET) despite not having a degree in education.
Refugio, who hails from a town named Liloy in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, earned a Bachelor’s degree in accountancy in a school here in Cebu. She studied at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University.
She enrolled herself in a program called the Diploma in Professional Education (DPE), which enables students who have completed four- or five-year tertiary programs to take the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers after completing a number of units in professional education-related courses.
Despite earning the degree, she did not pursue it and ended up working as an OFW factory worker in Taiwan.
It was not at all easy for her to decide to work abroad, she asserted. She pursued it anyway to support her family.
“I decided to apply for abroad and give it a try [because] my parents were struggling at that time due to financial problem so [I] needed to help them,” she said.
Refugio has been a dreamer ever since. She always wanted to be a teacher because she believed this was what she was made for.
“When I was in abroad, I always dreamt of teaching. I was not getting any younger [and] I was inspired by my mother (a retired master teacher) and sister, who is a teacher in public school already,” Refugio said.
Despite time constraints and several setbacks, she still had that burning desire to become a teacher.
So she decided to quit her job and give it a try.
She did not take any short cuts as she was able to finish her refresher course for education, took the board examinations and passed.
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Refugio never surrendered as she took the greatest leap for her career.
“[I feel] overwhelmed because I can’t I believe I made it. I became an LPT in just a span of [1] year after I got home from abroad,” she said.
She was confident that, in addition to finally pursuing her dream, teaching would enable her to support her family.
This is her message to those who would want to take the same leap of faith.
“Never doubt yourself. When you feel hopeless, just ask God for guidance and pray. If I can do it at the age of 38, [then] yes you can. Remember, age is just a number,” she said.
/bmjo
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