Best friends’ dream of finishing college made possible by Grab

Friendships are important in one’s life. They help enrich lives as well as contribute to one’s self-esteem, happiness, and sense of purpose. They are also a significant source of strength when dealing with obstacles and challenges.

Best friends Mary Flor Valerie Rull and John Lloyd Villa are exactly that for one another. The second-year students of PHINMA Rizal College of Laguna have leaned on each other while juggling school and their respective life challenges. It appears that their friendship acts as a true lucky charm, as the two friends were also both granted full-ride college scholarships by Grab under its GrabScholar program.

Overcoming obstacles with friends

Twenty-five-year-old Mary Flor was studying at a state university before stopping during her third year due to burnout and mental health issues. She was supposed to return to school, but unfortunately, her father was diagnosed with colon cancer, causing her to stop school again.

To help with the family’s finances, she cooked and sold food during her free time. “My mother’s income covers only our basic needs, as well as my father’s medical needs ever since he was diagnosed,” she shares.

Life hasn’t been kind to 19-year-old John Lloyd either. He was abandoned as a child and was taken in by his grandmother. Though he has her support, the stress and uncertainty brought by their financial struggles have plagued his college journey. “The mental exhaustion more than the physical has gotten to me, especially when the pandemic hit,” he recounts.

Despite the differences in their age and circumstances, fate has brought them together.

Throughout their friendship, they have learned that they share the same dreams, goals, and values. Both want to pursue a career in education and help their families. They are also motivated to give back to their communities.

“It has been my dream to teach ever since I was a kid,” shares Mary Flor. “I remember saying I will become a teacher who inspires and remains motivated to share what I have. I want to become a tool in imparting knowledge to my future students.”

“I’m a person who has taken interest in acquiring knowledge and being able to share with others, I think it’s really fulfilling to be able to touch, influence, and guide other people into better places, especially the children,” says John Lloyd. “I think education is indeed the noblest out of all the professions, that’s the reason why I chose it. I’m hoping to become a teacher or professor someday.”

While pursuing their degree, both learned to lean on the other when it comes to overcoming their respective problems. “Our friendship became one of our coping mechanisms, as we share the same goals in life. Our same interests really brought us together and made our friendship stronger,” shares John Lloyd. “(Our friendship) became our motivation to look for helping hands and find alternative ways to cope with our personal struggles.”

“John Lloyd always talks about being consistent in everything that you do. By being consistent, it pushes us in building a routine, especially when it comes to our studies,” adds Mary Flor.

Grabbing the dream

For Mary Flor and John Lloyd, reaching their dreams has become possible through GrabScholar, a multi-pronged scholarship program by Grab with the goal of making education more inclusive and facilitating social mobility for underprivileged Filipinos. The scholarship program extends beyond full-ride college scholarships as it also offers bursary support for essential school supplies and career acceleration training for aspiring BPO professionals.

What was once just a shared social media post by Grab on its Facebook page turned into an opportunity of a lifetime.

“We were only looking for monetary assistance to lessen our tuition fees. After seeing the post, we took the opportunity to apply even though we didn’t know if we’d be qualified or not,” shares Mary Flor.

“GrabScholar has been a really big help for me and my family,” says John Lloyd. “Before becoming a recipient of the program, we couldn’t afford to get new things for school and could hardly pay for my tuition.”

“GrabScholar provided all the assistance we needed all throughout our studies,” shares Mary Flor. “I don’t have to worry about tuition fees or where to get money for baon. The scholarship allowed us to focus more on our studies, instead of juggling work and school to make ends meet. I was able to give back the money I paid from my previous tuition to help pay for my father’s needs.”

Lessons learned

After everything they have gone through, Mary Flor and John Lloyd have learned that struggles are a part of life but what matters is how you overcome them. “The reason I stayed motivated is because I kept thinking about the future. In order for me to have a better life, I need to finish my studies,” says Mary Flor. “Pwedeng mapagod, pero bawal sumuko.”

“I never thought I would be able to continue my studies, but I realized that it is worth the time and sacrifices. When you’re determined, you become limitless. Never stop dreaming,” advises John Lloyd.

Aside from never giving up on their dreams, the two best friends also want young Filipinos to be more practical and to recognize when they need help. “There’s always a helping hand out there, you just need to reach out for it,” says John Lloyd. “There’s no harm in trying. Even when you think it’s impossible, just do it. If there’s an opportunity, grab it.”

Since its establishment in the Philippines, Grab continues to make significant strides in creating socioeconomic impact to the lives of Filipinos through special programs such as GrabScholar; and by providing viable livelihood opportunities for thousands of its driver-, delivery-, and merchant-partners.

Grab and its partners PHINMA Education and BagoSphere are now accepting new applicants into the GrabScholar program. To know more about GrabScholar, visit https://grb.to/GrabScholarPH .

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Editor’s Note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring and educational content created by PhilSTAR L!fe in collaboration with brands like Grab.