''From behind the canteen to the front of the blackboard, I proved that it is never too late to dream, rise, and succeed.''
The real-life story of Catherine C. Puerto, an employed DepEd teacher.
My story did not start with comfort, and I grew up in a poor family. As the eldest of five siblings, I learned early on about life's hardships. I did not finish secondary school because I had to help my parents and care for my younger siblings. At the age of 16, I got married, became a wife and a mother. I did everything to support our family: selling at a canteen, doing laundry, selling fish and vegetables, working at a packing house, and taking on any other side hustle jobs.
But there came a time when I almost lost hope. Amidst family problems, I thought about giving up. But a teacher told me, “You have another child; study, don’t give up.” At the age of 30, the door to education opened for me again through the Alternative Learning System (ALS). I dreamed and believed again that it was not too late. I passed the A&E Test, continued on to college, and graduated with honors.
I went through many trials, family struggles, financial problems, and the intense challenge of reviewing for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) while caring for my father in the hospital. On December 16, 2022, the answer to all my prayers came. I passed the LET and scored 84.40%. And on August 1, 2024, I became a full-time teacher in DepEd Digos City—and I now teach at the Senior High School of Kapatagan National High School, the very place where my dream began.
From behind the canteen to in front of the blackboard, I have proven that poverty, age, and the past are not obstacles to achieving one's dreams.
So to those who continue to take risks in life, don't give up; it's not too late. Education is the key to a brighter future. And I proudly say: “I am a product of the Alternative Learning System.”
To God be all the glory!
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Source: (ALS DIGOS CITY FB PAGE, 2026)