𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹

At 4:30 in the morning, just as roosters begin to crow and most are still in deep slumber, Jacqueline finishes her morning devotions. She then goes to their small kitchen and heats up the pan with a click on the stove, followed by a soft whoosh as the flame ignites.

The loud sizzle of oil fills the room as she starts frying 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 (grilled chicken intestines) she had already prepared the night before. Sometimes, instead of 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸, she makes a batch of 𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪, which are sweet glutinous rice balls coated in sesame seeds, or, during mango season, prepares slices with 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘨 (shrimp paste).

As dawn breaks, she softly mouths a verse from memory: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” both a reminder and a mantra for the long day ahead.

In a few hours, she will be walking through the hallways of the College of Arts and Sciences, her backpack weighed down with handouts and a plastic container of freshly cooked snacks in one hand. Some students know her as their schoolmate, others as the girl who sells the best fried 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 on campus, but not everyone knows what is behind her jolly smile.

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

Jacqueline Tolentino, 21, from Brgy. Alogoog, Badoc, Ilocos Norte, is currently a fourth-year English language student at Mariano Marcos State University.

When she was in Grade 7 at Juan Luna Memorial Academy, she began bringing snacks to school for sale. Back then, however, she had to hide her pre-packed 10-peso pancakes inside her bag because selling at school was prohibited. Even so, this did not stop her from gaining 𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘪 among her classmates.

Her mother, a barangay 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘥, also sells various snacks in front of their school or around the town proper with her 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘯. These jobs were just enough to put food on the table, ensure three meals a day, and send Jacqueline to high school. The youngest of four siblings, she has three older brothers who now live in different towns with their own families. Her father, however, was killed in an ambush when she was just 8 years old. Her mother has always refused to tell her the reason behind the attack, so Jacqueline grew up learning not to ask anymore.

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀

Without a doubt, Jacqueline’s life was never easy. When she was in grade 10, her mother moved out of their house to live with her stepfather in a nearby barangay in Badoc. From then on, she had to learn how to stand on her own and kept on selling snacks as a means of survival.

Then came Grade 11 and the pandemic. She was still living alone without her mother, and with the onset of the pandemic, she could no longer sell her hotcakes as she used to because people had to follow distance protocols during the lockdown.

Her mother only took care of her occasionally, whenever she went to her stepfather’s house to ask for food. Her mother would then secretly pass a container of food to Jacqueline through the window.

Through it all, Jacqueline persevered and did not let these struggles hold her back. This was until a heartbreaking message from her mother came. She still remembers clearly when her mother truthfully told her that she could no longer send Jacqueline to college, saying, “𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘦,” expressing doubt that Jacqueline could go to college, no matter the odds.

Overwhelmed by uncertainty about her future during her senior high years, Jacqueline felt lost and attempted to end her life twice. First, she self-harmed on her wrist. Then, as graduation approached and fearing she might not be able to go to college, she grabbed a length of plastic straw twine, tied it to the ceiling, and tried to hang herself. Miraculously, the twine broke before she could go through with it. After the failed attempt, Jacqueline cried and asked herself, “𝘈𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘶𝘣-𝘶𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘬 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘵𝘰𝘺?” That moment became a turning point, a sign that she was meant to keep fighting.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁

One day during the pandemic, an uncle from her father’s side, who has been a long-time Born Again Christian, invited her to church. With everything going on, she reluctantly accepted and attended the service the following Sunday. That Sunday, the church held an activity called “Encounter”. All lights were turned off, and each one of them had to “talk” one-on-one with God in their prayer. While she was praying, she was taken aback because the pastor approached her, as if sensing what she was going through. As if she knew about her suicidal thoughts, and in an attempt to stop her, the pastor said, “𝘚𝘢𝘢𝘯.”

The pastor was not God, but perhaps it was divine intervention that allowed her to empathize and show compassion. Right then and there, Jacqueline realized she was stronger than she thought. She understood that the brightest light can appear during the darkest times. She knew it would be difficult, knowing that college is no easy feat, but she also believed that nothing is impossible with God. Since then, the church has been her strongest support system.

“𝘕𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘪 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘬𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘵𝘪 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘬𝘰 𝘵𝘪 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘨 𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘬 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘨. 𝘒𝘢𝘴𝘪 𝘬𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘰’𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘨 𝘯𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘮.”

None of her three older brothers finished high school. Carrying with her the desire to be the first in her family to earn a degree, and sustained by her faith and the warm snacks she sold, Jacqueline pushed through college.

𝗔 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲

Each day for Jacqueline begins before sunrise. After cooking and packing snacks, she gets ready for school and waits for her best friend to pick her up at home. Cathlyn Joy Labasan, together with her father, always picks up Jacqueline at home using their own transportation. Cathlyn’s father always drives them from Badoc to the City of Batac, a routine that has continued since high school. Now college classmates, the two remain inseparable.

For Jacqueline, school is more than a place of learning: it is a means to survive. The moment she arrives on campus, she starts selling her now-famous 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 in between classes and during vacant hours.

Sometimes, her classmates-turned-friends who have become some of her biggest supporters, often carry her containers of snacks and sell them around the college. Thanks to its irresistible aroma, her 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 almost always sells out quickly.

Jacqueline prepares and cooks a batch of 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 or snacks just enough to secure ₱300 to ₱500 for the next day’s allowance. On days when the College of Arts and Sciences has events, the student council provides her with a small kiosk where she can sell more comfortably. These occasions inspire her to prepare larger batches.

At home, Jacqueline balances her roles as student and breadwinner. After a long day at school, she starts working on her homework, then begins preparing snacks, skewering and marinating 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 for the next day.

With how the community acknowledges and helps her, Jacqueline feels grateful that people like them exist, making her situation more bearable.

Even in her early years in college, Jacqueline’s mentors extended help. The late Dr. Jan Rich Guira, former OSAS director and one of her teachers, would often buy out her entire batch of 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 every time they had their class with him. The whole section would then share the 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 and snack on it before the class. Dean Marlina Lino also made sure she received assistance. Through her initiative, Dr. Lino and the college would find sponsors for cash assistance and Noche Buena packages.

Eventually, her mother, who was initially reluctant, saw how determined Jacqueline was. She gradually warmed up to the idea that it might be possible for her daughter to finish college. When Jacqueline was in her second year, her mother returned home to help her prepare the snacks each day. This gave Jacqueline more strength to continue her journey toward finishing college.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

It was also in her second year when Jacqueline started uploading content on her social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook, sharing snippets of her daily life while also inspiring others along the way.

While Jacqueline only intended to simply inspire others, her social media presence unexpectedly brought her both support and opportunities. As more of her schoolmates began to recognize her online, they also started buying snacks from her. Her 𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘸 quickly became a go-to treat, not only for students often found in the hallways of CAS, but also for those from the College of Computing and Information Sciences and the College of Engineering. Though boosting sales was not her original goal, the increased visibility translated into growing success for her small business.

Jacqueline’s content resonated with many, and her supporters began to show their appreciation in heartfelt ways. Some sent her practical gifts for daily use, while others went a step further by providing business packages like starter kits she could sell to grow and potentially expand her venture.

𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀

When asked how her mother feels about her nearing graduation, Jacqueline shared that her mother now often tells stories about her in their barangay and that she can see that she is proud of her. Jacqueline witnessed how her mother’s outlook changed from doubt to affirmation: from “𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘦” to “𝘒𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘯𝘢.”

She even overheard her mom once talking to a relative over the phone, proudly saying, “𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘥𝘰 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘪 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘢.” Jacqueline said that at long last, her mother appreciated what she was doing and realized why she worked tirelessly.

Now, as a graduating student, Jacqueline has learned so much not only in school, but also in life. “Do not let obstacles stop you from achieving your dreams. Instead, use these as motivation to reach everything you hope for.”

Before she finally finishes studying, Jacqueline dreams of becoming a language assistant teacher in Japan. Alternatively, she hopes to pursue entrepreneurship further in Batac, something that has always been close to her heart. If given the chance to establish a business, she wants to sell products that are affordable for students. With her degree, she also sees opportunities to integrate language and communication skills to promote her products.

Jacqueline wants people to know that sometimes, things may seem hopeless because of all the hardships, but these are part of God’s plan to strengthen us. “He did not send them for nothing; they came for a purpose. He forges you so that you will shine and become a light, an inspiration for others,” she said.

“I feel overwhelmed that everything seems to go by so fast. I was doubtful before, but now, I am here. It shows how God has worked in my life.”

Although exhausting, Jacqueline perseveres and continues with her days with an unshakeable hope that tomorrow will be better.

#MMSU #SUCCEEDMMSU