MANILA, Philippines – Abigail Escueta Cayanan, more commonly known as Gail, from Trece Martires, Cavite, has dreamed of becoming a nurse.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Jude College, Dasmariñas, Cavite, on February 11, 2024, as a cum laude.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/Abigail Escueta Cayanan |
She clinched the Top 1 spot in the May 2024 Philippine Nurses Licensure Exam (PNLE) with a rating of 92.60%.
According to an interview, she never considered any other profession when she was growing up except becoming a nurse. Even when they performed skits at school, she enjoyed wearing a nurse costume.
But as she grew older, she thought about becoming a doctor. However, Gail knew that her parents wouldn't be able to afford it, so she stuck to her desire to pursue a career as a nurse.
She shared that they struggled financially because her parents' businesses went bankrupt, and they were also unemployed. They fell deep into debt. However, her parents really worked hard to support her education and to pay for the review center.
Another challenge Gail faced was the negative comments from people who doubted that she would pass the board exam and become a topnotcher.
“Noong fourth year po ako, kapag maglalabas ng result sa mga pre-board exams ng school, may mga magsasabing hindi naman daw po totoo yung results at hindi naman po ako magta-top.
“Hanggang makapasa ako, may mga nagsasabi pa rin na, ‘Madali lang naman ang board exam ngayon kaya naka-top iyan.’”
But Gail chose to ignore these comments and instead focused on her goal. During the exam, she had an anxious moment when she realized that she had shaded the wrong answer, and her answer sheet got smudged. She worried that the machine might not be able to read her answer sheet due to the smudge.
That’s why Gail became emotional when the exam results were released. She admitted that despite the challenges she faced during the exam, she didn’t find it particularly difficult overall.
She knew how much effort she had poured into her studies and how hard she worked during her review. Moreover, her family, especially her mother, was with her every step of the way throughout her journey.
Congratulations, Abigail!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
