Mother, wife, athlete, scholar—Claire Anob wears many hats. After four years, the 23-year old will proudly be able to add college graduate to this list of accolades.

This June, Claire is graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education (Major in Filipino) from the Ifugao State University-Potia Campus where she was a beneficiary of SN Aboitiz Power-Magat’s Bridging Gaps in Higher Education through Tertiary Scholarships (BRIGHTS) Program.

Claire had to learn early on how to manage her time and resources between her many pursuits. Perhaps the most difficult to manage, though, were her roles in the household. “Minsan, natutulog ako mga midnight na. Tapos maaga nanaman akong gigising kasi s’yempre, pamilyado ako, at bilang isang ina, kailangan ko ring magtrabaho dito sa bahay (Sometimes, I would sleep at midnight. But I would still have to get up early the next day because as a mother, I still have to do housework),” Claire explains. However, she is thankful that she has a husband and parents that support her and help her take care of her four-year old daughter.

During the times when her husband had no income, there was a point when she had to sell homemade food in school and even accept cleaning services to get by. “Kung hindi man (lumpiang) shanghai, minsan ice candy (ang tinitinda ko). Sa paraang ito, nabibigyan ako ng pera para dagdag gastos ko sa pag-aaral o sa pangangailangan sa bahay. Kadalasan, dito ako kumukuha ng pambili ko ng kanin at ulam sa school canteen. Meron ding pagkakataon na ako’y naglalaba ng damit at naglilinis sa bahay ng aming kapitbahay (If not spring rolls, sometimes I would sell ice candy. In this way, I have extra money for school or home needs. Often, I use some of the money to buy meals from the school canteen. There were times when I accepted laundry and home cleaning services from my neighbors).”

Despite juggling all these activities, Claire says that she was still able to take some time for things that she finds fun in doing. Among these is competing as a table tennis varsity player for their school. She’s been a consistent player since her elementary school days, and was even able to represent the Potia Campus and score podium finishes during inter-campus competitions.

During this journey, Claire is thankful to her family and SNAP-Magat and wants to pay her blessings forward by being a public school educator. “Gusto kong makapagbahagi ng mga kaalaman sa mga bata—ang ma-develop ko ung mga skills at talents nila; [gusto ko ring] maging bahagi rin ng kanilang tagumpay (I want to be able to share much-needed knowledge to children, as well as to help develop their skills and talents; I want to be part of their triumphs).”

She says that while she wants to repay those who have helped her and touch the lives of her future students, it is her daughter that serves as her biggest inspiration. “Ipinapangako ko sa kaniya na bibigyan ko s’ya ng magandang buhay at kinabukasan. Susuportahan ko siya sa lahat ng kanyang pangarap at sasamahan siya para maabot lahat ng mga ito. Siya ang yaman ko. Marami akong naging pagkakamali, pero kung may tama man akong desisyon na nagawa, iyon ay ang iluwal ko siya sa mundo (I promise to give her a good life and a good future. I will support her in all her aspirations, and will guide her so that she can achieve them. She is my treasure. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but one of the things I know I did right is bringing her into this world).”

By September this year, Claire hopes to add one more achievement to her growing list as she takes the Licensure Exam for Teachers.

BRIGHTS is a scholarship initiative under SNAP’s corporate social responsibility program. It targets deserving students with limited means from the company’s immediate host communities. Aside from financial assistance, BRIGHTS also seeks to develop well-rounded leaders by encouraging scholars to participate in outreach programs for the communities and the environment, as well as providing them with leadership seminars.

PHOTO: SN Aboitiz Power-Magat scholar Claire Anob poses with her husband, Domingo and daughter, Princess Athena. This June, Claire is set to graduate from the Ifugao State University with a degree on Secondary Education.