Student Portrait

My name is Angel, and I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accountancy at Far Eastern University (FEU) in the Philippines. A university degree is very important because it helps us focus on the careers we want to pursue and serves as a step towards becoming working professionals.

I intend to pursue my passion and dreams, and I want to graduate to make my parents proud. Since my family is poor, I was not financially prepared for college—and finding scholarships in the Philippines is hard because students from the very poorest families are prioritized.

During my second year in school in 2019, I faced a difficult challenge when I was forced to stop my studies due to financial issues. My parents had difficulty paying my tuition fees, so my mother approached her employer to borrow money from him. Instead of lending us the money, he kindly helped pay my balance due instead.

Although there is a mandatory summer class, I chose not to enroll because my family could not afford it. I was crying the whole month because I no longer knew what to do. I thought my dreams were ending. My classmates kept asking me why I stopped studying, and I became tired of explaining my situation to them over and over again. I deactivated all my social media accounts and went back to my hometown to unwind for a little bit.

After my vacation, my mother’s employer sent me an email asking if I was interested in doing an internship at his foundation instead of just staying at home. I hesitated and considered my options for three weeks before accepting his offer.

During my three-month internship, I learned that college is not about who finishes first but rather about who finishes stronger. Before I finished my internship, they encouraged me to continue my university program and offered to pay half of my tuition fees. I was over the moon that day—and here I am stronger than before and ready for whatever struggles may come my way.

 About Angel

  • Age: 24
  • Ethnicity: Tagalog
  • Country: Philippines

 School & Program

  • FEU Diliman
  • Bachelor’s, Accountancy
  • Graduated

Goals & Dreams

  • Become a certified public accountant
  • Become an author
  • Buy my parents a house

 Loan Details

  • Loan Amount: $5,550
  • Amount Left To Fund: $3,075
  • Contract Duration: 12 years
  • Status: In Repayment (Late 30)
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Quotable

Angel, in her own words

You can also lend using the pink button atop every student profile.

Growing up, my dream was actually to become a meteorologist. In 8th grade, I really enjoyed lessons about weather, wind, temperature and atmosphere. I even volunteered as a weather forecaster for Science Month, and the event went very well. Beginning that year, I became best in science for three consecutive years.

When I entered high school, I decided to take Accountancy, Business and Management because I wanted something new that had nothing to do with science. I started to like accounting because it really clicked with me, and I began to believe I could have a good career with it.

My first and foremost goal in life is to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy and become a certified public accountant and later a lawyer. Yet I am certain that if I do not complete my college degree, I will never have an opportunity to achieve my career goals.

Accounting has taught me many things, such as how to be careful when I am preparing balance sheets and income statements because there’s always a pattern and proper order to it. I also learned how to budget my allowance, save money for the future, track my expenses, analyze a problem before taking action and become a better-organized person. I am confident that this is a field that suits me well and will allow me to showcase and enhance my knowledge and skills.

Moreover, accounting is undoubtedly the career that is most suitable for me since I will have a chance to help other firms operate efficiently, keeping their records accurately and helping them pay their taxes on time. Accountants also prepare financial statements for companies, something I look forward to doing in the future.

There are four major fields of accounting and auditing: public accounting, management accounting, government accounting and internal auditing – all of which I want to try because I am passionate about broadening my knowledge in the area of accounting. In addition, I’m planning to pursue law when I finish my accounting degree.

The main reason why I want to be a CPA lawyer is because it is not only about auditing and certifying financial statements. It is also about representing others in court. I can use either my accounting knowledge or legal knowledge whenever I want because sometimes CPAs do not do audits and lawyers do not represent clients in court.

To sum up, I believe that those who have this professional license can do anything they want. I am eager to have a CPA Lawyer title before my name, but for now I am studying hard and ready to find an internship for BS Accountancy students. Internships are a good practice for us to further improve our skills and better understand how accountants work in the real world.

Written by Angel with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.

Angel

Angel

“I’m eager to accept a loan from Zomia because this is the only way I’ve found that I can fund my studies.”

Q&A With Angel

Survey Fun

What is your favorite memory?
As a child, I always imagined how it would feel to be on a plane. Every time I saw an airplane flying, I waved and shouted “Enjoy your trip!” Last year, I was absolutely over the moon as my dream to fly finally came true. I was a Hinrich Foundation intern, and our Program Director Mr. Alexander Boome invited me to go with the whole team to Vietnam. When I finally got on the plane, I was very happy, but the pressure nearly killed my ears to the point that I couldn’t hear anything clearly. Vietnam is such an underrated country.
How would your friends describe you?
Unafraid to speak my mind, a good student, a sweet girl who loves to live in the moment.
What is the one thing that isn’t taught in school but should be?
“How to learn.” Two components of learning are remembering and analyzing. Many students have difficulty memorizing or remembering lessons. Our teachers should teach us how to boost our memories. Yet remembering is not enough. We should also learn how to analyze things. If these two things were taught, education would be more effective.
What is/was your favorite subject in school?
Astronomy and Meteorology, which taught me how to be a dreamer. Every time I look at the sky, I am amazed.
What skill or ability do you most wish you had (but lack today)?
I wish I could be a good writer. One of my biggest dreams is to be an author.
If you could do anything you wanted now, what would it be?
Scuba diving. I really want to overcome my fear of deep water. I can’t stop thinking how it would feel under the sea and seeing all the beautiful creatures down there.
Where would you most like to travel?
North Carolina because it is where Nicholas Sparks, my favorite author, grew up.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
I’m fond of pasta, and Truffle Cream Pasta was the first expensive pasta I ever tasted. My family cannot afford to go to restaurants often, so when I entered that fancy restaurant, I was crying inside. At first, I didn’t know what to pick because the menu was so unfamiliar. Finally, I chose what I thought might be delicious, and it turned out to be very good.
What’s your dream job?
Basically, my dream job is to be an accountant!
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
If I won $1,000,000 in the lottery, I would pay my tuition fees and buy my parents a house and lot. I would also pay my two younger siblings’ college tuition fees, pay all our debts, and donate to Zomia to help other students fund their studies.

You can also lend using the pink button atop every student profile.