MANILA, Philippines – Netizens were inspired by the story of Anshari Kirsten Dalan, the summa cum laude and valedictorian of Chemical Engineering program at the University of the Philippines Diliman, after he shared how he was able to finish his studies despite financial struggles, juggling schoolwork with a tutoring side hustle.
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| Photo courtesy: Anshari Kirsten Dalan/Facebook |
In an interview with PhilStar Life, Dalan admitted that as a child, she used to avoid talking about her parents' jobs at school. She initially felt ashamed of their work, her mother earned a living as a direct seller for a beauty brand, while her father worked as a janitor before getting licensed as a security guard.
She also admitted that she felt jealous of her classmates, especially when she saw how well they were taken care of and how easily their needs were provided for.
Due to her parents' modest income, her paternal aunt and uncle stepped in to help with financial assistance.
Wanting to ease the load on her parents, especially with siblings also depending on them, Dalan has been depending on scholarship stipends while studying at the Philippine Science High School.
Though college tuition is covered, students still face other expenses like school fees and daily living costs. Thankfully, she secured financial aid as a scholar under the Commission on Higher Education.
Based in her Diliman campus, Dalan regularly commuted to Pasig, regardless of the weather, to tutor high school students. Occasionally, her tutoring gigs brought her as far as Antipolo or Taguig. She often relied on ride-hailing services for transportation, with the costs usually shouldered by the parents of her students.
Her parents separated when she was eight years old. She has one sibling from each parent, as well as two additional siblings on both her mother’s and father’s sides. Despite growing up in a nontraditional family arrangement, Dalan shared that the experience became a driving force behind her determination to achieve more.
Reflecting on her journey, she said that if she could speak to her younger self, she would say, “Everything happens for a reason.”
Following her academic achievement, Dalan is now preparing for the board exam. She’s also in the process of applying to a Master’s program overseas through the Taiwan Exchange Education Program.
Congratulations, Anshari Kirsten!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express