Emotions were overflowing in this viral video featuring a Gen Z from Aurora as he sharpened his pencil for his board exam last September in front of his father’s grave.
Uploader John Henry Lucayon Tenorio said that he travelled four hours to visit his father’s grave in Cabanatuan City.
“Sharpening my pencil at my father’s grave was a deep, deep personal moment for me. But it was the months of preparation and commitment that made me a topnotcher. It might look symbolic, but that moment alone wasn’t what led to my success. The real story is behind the scenes. The late night, the countless hours of studying, the stress, the failures, and the persistence,” he emotionally told The Philippine STAR.
“Kino-consume ulit ako ng pressure, threat, and doubts talaga. So, sabi ko parang kailangan kong i-unload ‘yung bigat na nararamdaman ko. That’s when I decided to visit my father’s grave. Pinapangako ko sa kanya na pagbalik ko sa susunod kong bisita, engineer na ‘yung panganay niya. “Sabihin mo kay Lord, papa na padaliin naman ‘yung exam para sa’kin kasi maraming naghihintay ng resulta ng exam ko. Gugulatin natin sila,” he recalled the moment.
Tenorio shared that when his father died accidentally in 2005, their life changed in a snap.
Noting, “I papa ko po ay namatay sa isang motor accident. Apat po kaming magkakapatid, ako po ‘yung panganay. Seven years old po ako that time. Noong bata pa kami, ramdam ko na medyo marangya pa ‘yung buhay namin.”
“Si papa po kasi never niya pinagtrabaho si mama. Nung mamatay po siya, malaking adjustment po ‘yung nangyari. Dun na kami nag-start magpalipat-lipat ng bahay. In fact, almost 12, 14 houses na ‘yung nalipatan namin,” he added.
His mother was forced to enter different jobs just to provide for their needs. At a very young age, Tenorio had no choice but to step up and be mature enough to take care of his younger siblings.
“Parang sabay na nag-blossom ‘yung childhood and adulthood ko. Kasi seven years old natuto na ko magluto. Maglaba habang natututo akong maglaro ng tumbang preso. Alam ko na ‘yung responsibilidad ko sa bahay,” he stressed.
Adding, “I was senior high school nung pinagsabay ko na ‘yung pag-aaral at pagtatrabaho. On week days, ako ay isang tutor ng mga bata. On weekends, ako naman po ay isang service crew sa isang catering services. So, ‘yung kinikita ko po doon ay ginagamit ko pang suporta sa pag-aaral ko.”
Luckily, he got a scholarship at the Central Luzon State University where he finished his degree in agricultural and biochemical engineering.
“Natanggap po ako sa course na ‘yun and the rest is history. Four years later po, I graduated on time despite [the] pandemic and I graduated cum laude,” he said.
Tenorio first planned to take the board exam immediately after graduating but he faced one of his life’s biggest battles.
“Aware naman po ako sa pressure and expectation ng mga tao. Pero dumating po ako sa point na I was consumed by personal obstacle, na-overpower po ako ng mga problema. I wasn’t able to sleep na, madalas nang nagpa-palpitate, panic attack. Not until hindi ko po na-realize nakapag-accumulate ako ng small unhealthy habits na naka-apekto sa akin–I lost weight, alopecia, ganung level,” he recalled.
He then decided to pause and postpone taking the exam in 2022. Even if it was hard, he trusted his journey and clung to his dreams.
Tenorio applied for a job while attending his master’s degree classes before he continued reviewing for the board exam.
”Habang nagma-[masters], nagre-review po ako for 2023 board exam. Ang alam ng mama ko nag-aaral po ako for [masters]. So, hindi po ako umuwi sa kanya nang matagal na panahon. Secret siya,” he said.
After surviving different obstacles in life, he finally attained one of his dreams—to be a licensed engineer.
He became a topnotcher at the agricultural and biosystems engineering licensure exam last September 2023.
“Walang mali na kilalaning ang tagumpay ay maaaring maiugnay sa kung sino ‘yung magtatasa ng lapis mo o kung saan mo dapat ito gawin––kung dito ka naman makakakuha ng lakas at inspirasyon.Pero sa huli, ang tunay na sukatan ng tagumpay ay ‘yung sipag at dedikasyon,” he said.
“Masaya siya sa feeling. Ito pala ‘yung bunga nung pinaghintay sakin ni Lord. It humbled me in a way na na-appreciate ko na hindi lang pala makikita ang ganda kapag laging ikaw ‘yung nauuna sa finish line. There is also beauty in the waiting season,” he added.
