Life Story: From being a Jollibee Crew to becoming a Professional Teacher

My life was clearly not easy few years ago. My parents could not send me to college. I cried a thousand times for that matter because I was jealous of my classmates who were already in the last phase of their enrolment in college and because I had an ambition of becoming a professional someday. But tears didn't solve my problem, I needed to do something to reach my dreams.

First, I worked in a public market in hopes of saving enough money for enrolment. I worked hard to earn the money but for eight long months, I only saved about 9,000 pesos. That amount was surely not enough to sustain my expenses for a year in college. I stopped and looked for other jobs.

Then, I was hired as a houseboy in Moalboal, Cebu. In exchange, my benefactor would pay for my tuition and provide my daily allowance. I was very happy because finally I would experience being a college student and my dreams of becoming a professional was starting to happen. But the mother of my benefactor didn't like me, she did everything to make my life miserable. Until I reached a decision of giving up my work, and my studies. I only finished my first year.

Then, I worked as a contractual employee in the company in hopes of saving money to send myself back to college. But that didn't happen again because I needed to give a portion of my salary to my parents. My working contract ended, and I still had no chance to re-enroll.

Then, I asked my mother to help me financially with my requirements because I wanted to apply as a crew in Jollibee. I promised her that my first salary would be given to her as payment. I was lucky to be accepted as a contractual worker of Jollibee - that was May 2008. I happily worked as a dining crew. My first pay day came, it supposed to be a happy day but it turned out to be a very difficult day. I remembered my promise to my mother to give my first salary to her as payment (she loaned money from other people) but I also wanted to use the money for my re-enrolment in college. The latter decision over ruled.

I was very afraid to go home that day. I didn't know how to explain what I did. I wanted to pay the loan of my mother for my Jollibee application and I also wanted to help them by giving them a part of my salary every pay day. But that was very impossible because I already used the money for my re-enrolment and the next salary would be used for my studies.

My elder sister was very upset of me. She thought that she would again be the one to pay for the loan and she could not expect a help from me to support our family. My father was jobless and my mother only get a penny from being a housemaid.

I rearranged my payment options with my mother. I still promised to be the one to pay the loan used for my Jollibee application.

It was June 2008 when I went back to college. I knew I was on a very difficult situation again because I would study in the morning and work in the evening. My class would start at 7:00 up to 4:00 in the afternoon, then I would travel from the school to Jollibee to work. Usually, my working schedule would start at 5:00 PM up to 11:00 in the evening. I would be home around 1:00 to 2:00 AM in the morning and would rise again at 5:00 to prepare for school. I only slept for 3 hours and during snack time in school and break time at work.

I worked hard in Jollibee as a service crew. My first station assignment was in the dining assigned for assissting the customers with their orders, bussing the table, and cleaning the dining area. I wanted to perform better every day to impress our managers because I planned to apply as a working scholar of Jollibee after the termination of my contract.

After 5 months as a contractual, I was accepted as a working scholar in Jollibee. Meaning, I would be working as a crew until I would finish college. I was transferred to the counter station until I became a marketing assistant and a party host.

I was very happy for the opportunity given to me, so I worked with excellence, perseverance, dedication and love. I received many awards and recognition in Jollibee for this.

After three jolly years of working and studying, I received my degree in Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Industrial Technology. I graduated Cum Laude and ranked 6th from the 300 plus graduates in Education.

Jollibee is not only my number one fast-food chain but also my ultimate BEE-stfriend. It helped me reach my dreams in life, not to mention all the life lessons I learned when I was still a Jollibee crew.

I am Christian Yocte, a licensed professional teacher and a very proud Jollibee service crew.

THANK YOU FOR READING!