When you graduated from college and especially if you hold a license for the profession you chose, society often expects you to work in that field. It doesn’t matter if your new career gives you better pay and makes you happy; people still think you are wasting your degree by practicing a different profession.
That’s what happened to Paul Lea “Pauline” Isabelo, an education graduate who chose a career in Jollibee and is now the manager of local branch.
She completed her degree in Bachelor of Secondary Education, Major in English, from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) – Biñan Branch in Biñan, Laguna. But unlike her batchmates who went on to become full-fledged teachers, Pauline would become a manager at Jollibee.
Photo credit: Paul Lea “Pauline” Isabelo / Facebook
Because the two professions are so different from each other, Pauline often receives unsolicited advice from family and friends to go back to being a teacher.
“Sayang pinag-aralan mo, di mo napapractice profession mo,” people often told her.
Somewhat fed up with what she keeps hearing from people around her, Pauline penned a heartfelt open letter that she posted on Facebook. In this post, she explained that though she is pursuing a different career from her batchmates, she is very happy with her job and feels proud about herself.
Photo credit: Paul Lea “Pauline” Isabelo / Facebook
“I’m posting this not to brag, but to remind everyone that not because someone took the other way it means sayang na yung pinag-aralan. Mas sayang yung nagtapos ka ng pag-aaral pero mas pinili mo maging tambay. At mas sayang din yung nagttrabaho ka pero di ka naman talaga masaya sa ginagawa mo,” she explained.
“Stop putting into someone’s mind na sayang ang pinag-aralan kapag hindi mo napapractice ang profession mo, but instead, tell them to do what they really want and love. Hindi ba pedeng suportahan nalang? Hehe.”
She further explained that though she’s not a teacher in a classroom setting, she remains as teacher in a different setting as she is a mentor to her crew. She added that everyone is a teacher, in one way or another.
Photo credit: Paul Lea “Pauline” Isabelo / Facebook
“Besides, lahat naman tayo teacher. Maybe not in profession but in action. A mother teaching her child with his/her first word. A father guiding his child what is right and wrong. A friend helping and cheering you. You, believing in yourself.
Hindi naman nagtatapos ang pagiging isang guro ko. I’m still in a room looking for improvement into someone and guiding them to become a better one, while them helping me also to become a better person. Give and take pa din, like a student and a teacher. Yes, not my students but our crews.”
And while she might not be an educator for young minds in school, Pauline said she’s not signing off as teacher but improving herself to become a better person. And if she finds joy and fulfillment in her job as Jollibee manager, isn’t that wonderful? It’s great that she’s pursuing something she really loves to do…
i salute you mam/manager…for being bold and frank to say what you really feel inside. you are right in saying that what matters most is what makes you happy and contented, pursuing your dreams away from what your diploma stated otherwise is not a crime, instead it is a gateway for new horizon, to learn more about yourself and freedom to become what you really want to be. .. and serve better at your best and productive … after all education does not end when one graduated, it is only the beginning to learn more and get educated in higher level…in different perspective. i believe that you are still a teacher by heart and by service to your fellows. kudos and keep up the faith in what you believe…career shifting is the in thing today..if you can shine in another field then do not let that talent fade away by following the society’s dictation…
Wow. Nakakarelate ako sa post ni Paul Lea. Kaso sa akin BS Commerce ako. Nag-tututor sa Math pero elementary. Nagka license ako sa BS Secondary Educ., Math sa tulong ni God. Hindi ako nakatulog nang maayos on the day before exam, 4:30 ako dapat gumising pero until 3:00am gising na gising ako at naisip ko, “paano ako papasa neto?”. Immediately naisip kong mag-pray. Eto napatunayan ko, kapag ginusto ni God walang makakapigil at hindi imposible. Dahil sa iba’t ibang pangyayari hindi ako nakapagtuturo pa, pero try ko muli this year. Nakakaloka nga kung magpapakulong sa expectation ng iba. Iba kasi at mataas din ang expectation sa akin ng mga tita ko, sila ang sumuporta para makapag-aral ako. Follow your heart and whatever career you chose do it not for human but God. Si God naman kasi ang nagbigay ng kung anong talento meron tayo. THANK you sa Author sa pag-share
There is always a wisdom in following your heart’s desire. For it’s quite hard to do something you do not like or loving doing, isn’t it? Pauline is correct when she said that it’s not a loss when you do not practice what you studied. It will only become a loss when you decide not to work in spite of the degree you earned. God bless you, Pauline.
I remember a question from an interview when I was applying for a job. It was, what is my opinion about teachers who preferred to work abroad as domestic helpers rather than to work as teachers here in our country. My answer was. It is a matter of personal choice. They have their personal reasons. Maybe, one of the reason is they receive better monetary compensation which is true. Domestic helpers abroad earned much higher compared to the salary of teachers here in our country. I found out later that I was given a score of two out of ten. Hahaha! Funny! My undergrad sibling works as domestic helper abroad and earning double (and even higher ) of my salary as a teacher here. I choose to be a teacher and I do not have any regrets . I love my job and this job made me a strong person. Salary matters but it is a matter of how I handle it. As of now I live according to my resources while continuously doing the needed requirements on how to be promoted to received a higher salary before retiring from the service.
Im a licensed Chemical Engineer as well but now Im happy as a Preschool English Teacher abroad…Indeed it’s the thing you love to do that will satisfy you and not how others look at you…