Autobiography

My Autobiography

My name is Ahella Jane Perez, and this is the story of my life” a story filled with sacrifices, struggles, lessons, happiness, heartbreaks, and dreams. My life may not have been perfect, but every experience I went through shaped me into the person I am today.

Everything started with the love story of my parents. They met in Muntinlupa while they were both working at Chowking. As time passed, their relationship became serious until my mother became pregnant with me. On September 8, 2006, I was born in Malolos, Bulacan.

I was born in Bulacan because that was where my father lived, while my mother was from Isabela. From infancy until Grade 4, I grew up in Calumpit, Bulacan. That was where I experienced the simple joys of childhood – playing outside, making friends, and spending time with my father. During school vacations, my mother and I would visit Isabela to see her family. Because of that, both Bulacan and Isabela became important parts of my identity.

Life was not easy for our family financially. My father worked as a tricycle driver, and although his income was not always enough, he did everything he could to provide for us. When I was in Grade 4, my mother decided to work abroad to help improve our financial situation. Even though my father did not want her to leave, my mother still chose to sacrifice for our family.

As a child, I did not fully understand why she had to leave. But as I grew older, I realized that she did it because she wanted to give us a better life. My father stayed in the Philippines to take care of me while my mother worked abroad.

Before I entered Grade 5, my mother decided that it would be better for me to study in Isabela because I would receive more attention and proper care there. Thankfully, my relatives took good care of me while my mother was away.

While I was studying in Isabela, one of the hardest moments of my life happened – my parents separated. Even as a child, I already understood the situation between them, although it hurt me deeply. I learned that sometimes things do not work out no matter how much people want them to.

Even though my parents separated, my communication with my father never disappeared. However, I was never able to return to Bulacan, not even during vacations. Ten years passed but I wasn’t able to see my father in person. Despite the distance and time, our communication remained strong. He constantly checked on me and still gave financial support for my needs. Through that, I realized that a father’s love never truly disappears.

When I was in Grade 6, my mother returned from Abu Dhabi. That became one of the happiest moments of my life because I had missed her so much. When she came home, I also learned that I was going to have a younger sibling.

In 2019, my mother went abroad again, but this time she worked in Hong Kong. She made that sacrifice again for the education of my sibling and me. She only came home in 2024 when I graduated from Senior High School, but after some time, she returned to Hong Kong to continue working and supporting us.

When it comes to academics, I cannot say that I am extremely intelligent. I am just an average student who tries her best. During junior high school, I experienced becoming an honor student for the first time.

My aunt played a huge role in that achievement because she was very strict when it came to my studies. Because of her guidance, I learned how to become more responsible and disciplined academically.

From that moment on, I continued receiving honors until Senior High School. I can honestly say that Senior High School became the happiest part of my student life. That was where I experienced happiness, laughter, stress, sadness, and unforgettable memories with my classmates and friends.

During Grade 11, I had a best friend who felt like a sister to me. We were always together and extremely close. But suddenly, our friendship ended. Even though it hurt, I learned that some people enter your life only to teach important lessons.

After that heartbreak, I found new friends who are still with me even now in college. They became my support system during stressful and difficult times.

Today, I am a college student at Isabela State University Cauayan Campus taking up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. BSIT was never my first choice because my dream course was Psychology, but life led me to a different path.

Later on, I was accepted into ISU-Cauayan under the BSIT program. At first, I doubted myself because it was never part of my original plan.

College life has been one of the hardest challenges I have experienced. During my first year alone, I already felt burned out. I reached a point where I told myself that getting a passing grade was already enough as long as I survived.

But despite everything, I survived. I managed to pass my subjects even though I thought I could not. My mind was filled with overthinking, fear, and self-doubt, but I am still here, continuing to fight and move forward.

Through everything I have experienced, I learned that a person’s worth is not measured by achievements alone. Sometimes, being able to say “I made it” is already enough. Because of every hardship, sacrifice, and tear, I became stronger.

Ahella Jane Perez