TUCKED IN AND TRENDY. Nanay Josephine strikes a pose in her uniform at the Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel. Photo by Mark Francisco Dela Cruz.
A 65-year-old student in Bulacan is proving there is nothing keeping seniors from going back to school.
A viral Facebook post introduces Josephine Villatema Amante, a second year Bachelor of Elementary Education at Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel in San Jose del Monte City.
The post, written by her schoolmate Mark Francisco Dela Cruz, has gained over 2,800 likes and over 1,000 shares. In it, Amante, or Nanay Josephine to her classmates and teachers, shares her story.
Nanay Josephine, married at 18, did not get to finish her studies. She spent her years raising her six children.
But, now that her children are all grown, she decided to fulfill her promise to herself and to her parents to earn her college diploma.
Although surrounded by people much younger than her, Nanay Josephine said she does not feel intimidated or out of place inside her college campus.
“They’re all nice and good people,” she said about her classmates and professors. “We help each other out, and I even have younger friends now!”
Even one of her former professors, Luigi Espina Evardone Paano, commented on the Facebook post, praising Nanay Josephine for performing her school duties without complaints and for being cooperative and participative in class.
Nanay Josephine told Dela Cruz that she balances her time between Zumba and taking care of her grand children.
Her advice to anyone who is considering a career change is to go out of their comfort zone.
“It’s never too late to chase your dreams,” she said. “Don’t listen to negativity; focus on the support of your family and friends.”
