“Sometimes, the dreams we end up pursuing are different from the dreams we once imagined for ourselves.” Hello Hive! 🐝 My name is Rebecca V. Gonzales, a 3rd year college student currently taking up Bachelor of Elementary Education. Honestly, if someone asked me years ago what profession I wanted, my answer would immediately be: “I want to become a flight attendant.” I dreamed of traveling around the world, meeting different people, wearing that elegant uniform, and experiencing life beyond my comfort zone. It was the profession I truly saw myself pursuing before. But as I slowly grew older, life taught me that not everything goes according to our original plans. Sometimes, we choose based on reality. Sometimes, we choose based on sacrifices. And sometimes, we choose because we want to help lessen the burden of the people we love. Taking Tourism would be expensive for our family, and deep inside, I knew it would be difficult financially. So instead of continuing that dream, I decided to pursue Education — a course that was once only my second option. At first, I honestly questioned myself a lot. “Can I really become a teacher?” “Am I capable enough?” “What if this path is not really for me?” But one person kept believing in me even during the moments I doubted myself the most — my lola. Edited by: Canva

I grew up with my lola, and she became one of the biggest influences in my life. She always told me that even if teachers are not always highly paid, teaching is still one of the most meaningful professions because teachers help shape the future of children. She said she could picture me standing in front of students someday — teaching with patience, kindness, and understanding. And little by little, because of her faith in me, I slowly started believing in myself too. Edited by: Canva

Aside from my lola, I am also deeply grateful for my siblings, especially my sister who became one of the strongest pillars of our family. She became our provider and sacrificed so much just to support me and my siblings in our studies and daily needs. Despite all the responsibilities she carries, she still manages to love us selflessly. As her younger sister, I feel so lucky because until now she still treats me like her baby sister. She loves giving me lambing, comforting me, checking on me, and making me feel loved in the simplest ways possible. Those small moments may seem ordinary to others, but for me, they became one of my biggest sources of strength. Because of them, I became more motivated to continue pursuing my studies and dreams. Someday, I want to give back to the people who sacrificed so much for me. I should already be graduating this year, but life had different plans for me. I transferred from a private college to a public university, and because of that, I had to go back to first year and retake several required subjects from my current school. Photo by: Me

Honestly, it was painful at first. I felt left behind while some of my batchmates were already moving forward. There were moments when I questioned my own journey and wondered why mine had to become longer and more difficult. But eventually, I realized that life is not a race. We all have different timelines, different struggles, and different journeys. Delays do not mean failure. Sometimes, God allows detours because there are still lessons we need to learn and strengths we still need to discover within ourselves. And honestly, those extra years changed me a lot. College became one of the biggest chapters of self-discovery in my life. Little by little, I began understanding myself more. I experienced growth, maturity, disappointments, heartbreaks, silent battles, and realizations that slowly shaped me into the person I am becoming today. One of the biggest realizations I had was learning that not everyone is meant to stay in your life forever. College taught me that some friendships are only seasonal. Some people enter your life just to teach you lessons, become part of your memories, and eventually leave. I learned not to expect everyone to understand me, support me, or stay beside me forever — and honestly, accepting that reality made me emotionally stronger. It’s hard to find genuine friends who will stay with you through ups and downs, and I’m thankful that I found mine. Edited by: Canva

We’ve been together since first year college, through sleepless nights, stressful activities, tiring commutes, breakdowns, and happy moments. College life became lighter because of them. They are not just college friends to me. They became my safe place during some of the hardest days of my life, and I’ll always be grateful for that. 🤍 I also realized that being alone sometimes is not loneliness. Sometimes, it becomes peace. It becomes the moment where you learn how to stand on your own and focus on becoming a better version of yourself. Another thing that helped me grow was our demo teachings and classroom activities. Edited by: Canva

Example of Instructional materials I made. Image taken by: Me

At first, I was really shy whenever I had to stand in front of the class. I would overthink everything, get nervous while speaking, and become scared of making mistakes in front of other people. But through every reporting, every activity, and every demo teaching, I slowly learned how to overcome that fear. Little by little, I started building my confidence. I became more comfortable expressing myself, speaking in front of many people, and handling classroom situations during practice teaching. There are still moments when I get nervous, but compared before, I can now see how much I improved — and honestly, I feel proud of that growth. Maybe confidence is not something you instantly have. Maybe it is something you slowly build while continuously facing your fears. Outside school life, I enjoy simple things that genuinely make me happy. I love walking because it gives me peace of mind. I love singing, dancing, listening to music, and even doing house chores because simple things somehow comfort me whenever life becomes overwhelming. Photo by: Me

As someone who is still figuring life out, I know I still have a long way to go. I still have fears, insecurities, and uncertainties about the future. But one thing I learned is this: Growth takes time. Healing takes time. Dreams take time. And it’s okay not to have everything figured out yet. For now, I just want to continue learning, improving myself, making my family proud, and pursuing my dreams little by little. Maybe my journey is longer than others. Maybe my dreams changed along the way. Maybe I still doubt myself sometimes. But despite everything, I am still here. Still trying. Still growing. Still believing. Maybe I’m not there yet… but I know I’m getting closer. Edited by: Canva

Almost there. 🤍 #hive #hiveintro #hiveintroduction#hbd #indiaunited #hl-exclusive #ladiesofhive #hiveph #philippines #foh #chinito * * * * * *