“Some journeys begin with certainty. Others begin with questions. The most meaningful ones often begin with both.”
For Bridgette Ashley Paza, every achievement she celebrates today began with uncertainty. As the first in her family to earn a college degree, her journey to becoming a Cum Laude graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Statistics at Eastern Visayas State University was shaped not by a lifelong dream, but by faith in her mother’s belief that the path she had chosen would eventually lead her to success.
Although Statistics was never her preferred course, she embraced the challenge despite her doubts, proving that the most meaningful journeys often begin on roads we never intended to take.
The road was never easy. Poor eyesight made every lecture a challenge, while an old cellphone was her only tool for completing school requirements. Financial struggles and unsuccessful scholarship applications often left her questioning whether her dreams were within reach.
Everything changed during her third year when she became a recipient of the Estatistikolar Scholarship Program. More than financial assistance, it gave her access to essential resources, including a pair of eyeglasses, and restored her confidence. With renewed hope, Bridgette realized that the opportunities she had long waited for had simply arrived at the right time.
With renewed determination, Bridgette flourished. The course she once questioned became the discipline she grew to love. She discovered the beauty hidden within numbers, uncovered talents she never knew she possessed, and transformed every challenge into motivation.
Her perseverance culminated in graduating Cum Laude and receiving the Best in Thesis Award, proving that greatness often grows from the seeds of uncertainty.
Looking back, the questions that once filled her with doubt—”Bakit hindi ko sinukuan ang Statistics?” “Bakit hindi ako nag shift sa program na gusto ko?”—have found their answers. Today, she can proudly say that staying the course was one of the best decisions she ever made.
Behind her remarkable success stands the unwavering love and faith of a mother who believed in her long before she believed in herself. Her mother’s guidance became the compass that led her through moments of uncertainty, while the Estatistikolar Scholarship became the bridge that connected her aspirations to reality. Together, they reminded her that no one reaches the finish line alone. Every first-generation graduate stand on the shoulders of those who quietly sacrificed so that someone else could rise.
Today, as Bridgette walks across the graduation stage, she carries more than honors and awards. She carries the dreams of a family that will forever remember this day as the moment their history changed. She is the first to earn a college degree, but she will not be the last. Her success has become a beacon of hope for her younger siblings, cousins, and future generations, who will now grow up believing that higher education is not an impossible dream—it is a legacy waiting to be continued.
Bridgette Ashley Paza’s story reminds us that the greatest victories are not measured by medals or Latin honors alone. They are measured by lives transformed, barriers broken, and generations inspired. Sometimes, the path we never wanted becomes the journey that changes everything. And sometimes, the first graduate in a family does more than earn a diploma—they become the beginning of a new story, one where hope is inherited, dreams no longer seem distant, and every “Why me?” is answered with, “Because you were meant to lead the way.”
This feature article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 04: Quality Education; SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities; SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
via Jaime Gravador | UMDC
