From Hardship in the Philippines to Honors Abroad: One Student’s Journey of Faith and Persistence

When Michael was a sophomore in college in the Philippines, the world he knew collapsed with a phone call. His father had fallen gravely ill, and suddenly the family’s already modest income could no longer cover both tuition and hospital bills. The dream of higher education, which had defined his young life, was pushed aside for survival.

Michael made the painful decision to leave school and work. Each day began before dawn, his hands and energy spent on jobs that brought little more than enough to keep the household afloat. Friends pressed forward with their studies while he labored quietly, sending money home and reminding himself that this was not the end of his journey. “It was a difficult time,” he said to Moroni Channel, “but I never let go of the belief that education was the key to a better future.”

For years, that conviction burned steady, even when reality suggested otherwise. In 2019, the chance he had waited for finally appeared. With savings scraped together from long hours of work, Michael applied to Brigham Young University–Hawaii. The letter that arrived bore more than acceptance—it came with the IWORK scholarship, funded by donors who believed in students like him. For the first time in years, the dream of a diploma flickered back into view.

But opportunity did not erase hardship. Life in Hawaii was demanding. Michael battled sickness, isolation, and the heavy expectations he carried. There were nights when fatigue seemed overwhelming, when doubt whispered that he had come too far only to fall short. Yet he pressed forward. His faith, he said, was both anchor and compass. Education, he knew, was not merely for himself but for the family and community he represented.

In time, perseverance gave way to triumph. Michael graduated summa cum laude, one of the highest honors the university bestows. He received a departmental scholarship in Social Work and spent his free hours helping other students navigate the same struggles he had endured. “Even when I was struggling,” he reflected, “helping others reminded me that none of us walk this journey alone.”

Today, Michael is in Provo, Utah, pursuing a master’s degree in Public Health at Brigham Young University. Again, scholarship aid has made the impossible possible. His ambition is not framed by prestige or wealth but by service: to return to the Philippines and strengthen the health of his fellow citizens. His vision is holistic, extending beyond the treatment of illness to the care of the mind, spirit, and community that sustain well-being.

The arc of Michael’s life—from a small town in the Philippines to the halls of American universities—is shaped by both struggle and grace. Each setback carved a deeper well of resilience. Each obstacle became a rung on the ladder upward.

He carries with him a lesson distilled from years of trial and triumph. “No matter the setbacks,” he said in an interview with Moroni Channel, “you can rise again. With faith and determination, even the impossible becomes possible.”

In an age where opportunity too often hinges on circumstance, Michael’s story stands as a testament to what can happen when perseverance meets grace, and when faith transforms obstacles into new beginnings.