De La Salle Lipa scholar who worked his way thru college as fastfood service crew finally graduates, thanks employer

A scholar who recently graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from De La Salle Lipa shared on social media his memorable experiences as a working college student.

Israel Cuasay Mabiling, 22, of barangay San Jose in Lipa City, Batangas province, endured all the challenges while working as a maintenance assistant scholar and as a Jollibee service crew for over four years since January 2016.

In a Facebook post on June 5, Mabiling thanked his “jolliest best friend,” Jollibee, for the tremendous opportunity it has given him despite knowing that being a service crew is not an easy job.

https://www.facebook.com/mabilingisreal/posts/3111069842284452

“In my [four] and a half years of stay with you, hindi ko na mabilang kung ilang tao na ba ang napagsilbihan ko, mapabata man o matanda na [umuuwing] nakangiti. Natutunan ko sayo kung paano idaan sa ngiti ang [aking] mga problema sa pang araw-araw,” he stated on his post.

(In my four and a half years of stay with you, I cannot count how many people I have served, be they young or old, who came home smiling. I learned from you how to just smile away all my problems every day.)

Mabiling also recounted the usual scenarios that have been part of a service crew’s life: “Bilang service crew, part ng buhay namin ang mapagalitan at makunutan [ng noo] ng customers sa tuwing hindi sila nasasatisfy [sa sebisyo namin]. Sa makukulit na customer na nagpupumilit sa hindi available na part ng chickenjoy at kapag nababagalan na sila samin.”

(As a service crew, part of our lives is to get scolded or frowned upon by our customers whenever they are not satisfied with our service. The pesky customers who insist on the unavailable part of Chickenjoy and when they find us slow.)

He also mentioned those customers whom he said think like they bought the fast-food employees when they only paid for their products and services.

Despite the many reasons to quit his job as a service crew, including his studies and duty as a working scholar, Mabiling chose to stay, saying, “[Bakit] ako aalis? Dito ako masaya. (Why would I leave? I am happy here).

He said that he chose to stay in his job, not because of money or not just to support his needs, but because he was happy with his job.

In his post, he also thanked his scholarship donors who supported him in his studies. He was selected as a recipient of the Pusong Pinoy Scholarship in junior high school as well as of the Academe Foundation Inc. sxholarsip in senior high school.

These scholarships helped him and his family to reduce their family’s expenses for his education.

Mabiling dedicates his success to his single mom and five siblings who are his inspiration in his pursuit to become a successful engineer in the future. He also has a message to those who are also working students like him: “Kapit lang! Wag susuko. Walang mahirap sa taong may pangarap (Just hold on! Do not give up. There is nothing difficult for a person with dreams).”

His inspiring story has earned praises from netizens and gained over 2,300 reactions, 134 shares and 665 comments as of this writing.  /ra

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