Jhonrick Art Catindoy Orense belongs to one of the poor families in the Philippines but he had always dreamt of reaching his dreams. More often than not, people kept discouraging him. Even his own parents have been telling him that he can’t possibly go to school because the family’s income can’t support the necessary expenses in school.
His father was a barangay tanod while his mother is a housemaid and their income can hardly make both ends meet for the family so sending their children to school is impossible. They would often tell him to just work first or enrol in TESDA.
But despite of all the disappointing words that people would throw at him, he still kept on hoping of finishing a bachelor’s degree. He knew that this will land him a good job and bring good life to his family. With this thought in mind, he enrolled and took up Bachelor of Arts major in Journalism.
This time he sort of defied his parents but he knew it was the best thing to do. He did his best in school; determined to have a better life. He became active in both his academic studies and extra-curricular activities. He was the Phoenix Publication’s Editor-in-Chief, Phoenix Newsletter Editor and the Fourth Estate’s President. He also became the DMP Mister Ultimate Diamond Ambassador Royal Court Season 11 and a finalist in the 2018 Mister Intramurals.
He said that he posted his achievements not to brag about it but rather, to inspire those that have been thinking that they can’t reach their goals in life. He stated further that he was an ordinary person who chose the do extraordinary things and one of those is pursuing a college degree. He posted his picture wearing a toga and holding a placard that says he’s the son of a tanod and a housemaid who will graduate as CUM LAUDE.
