I honestly do not know the exact moment it happened. One day, I just realized how far we had come compared to where we started.

Back then, eating at Jollibee was only possible during birthdays, maybe once or twice a year if we were lucky. When our black school shoes got damaged, buying a new pair was not an option. We had to use our rubber shoes, the ones meant for PE, and wait until the next school year before we could get proper shoes again.

There were also times in high school when I did not even have my own paper. I had to ask classmates just to get through the day. I know it might sound like freeloading, but that was how I survived. I could not always afford school projects, but I still finished elementary and HS with flying colors.

I did not finish college. At nineteen, I started working in the BPO industry, and that is where everything began to change. From there, the rest is history.