A lot of us don’t really expect the jeepney drivers to be in college and finish their education. It’s not discrimination but just something that we have come to expect, something we can say as a reality in life. After all, how many jeepney drivers do you know have completed their college education, anyway?
But one young man proved that jeepney drivers have dreams, too, and that they can also act on that dream and make it a reality!
Gary Roque, the son of a jeepney driver, also became a jeepney driver himself after quitting college. His father had dreamed of him becoming an engineer but he had chosen to enrol in Bachelor in Industrial Technology, Major in Computer Technology at Bulacan State University (BulSU) in Malolos, Bulacan.
After 2 years in college, Gary thought that was enough. He quit school and became a jeepney driver. He realized that finding a job was difficult if you have not completed college – and being a jeepney driver is a physically demanding task. So, he went back to school.
His dad remains a jeepney driver but Gary didn’t want to depend on his parents, especially because he’s already of legal age; thus, he went to school during the day and continued being a jeepney driver at night.
After class hours, he rushes to the streets to earn money as jeepney driver. He admitted that there were times when he disobeyed the rules, picking up passengers at illegal spots but the traffic enforcers never believed when he said he was just trying to earn more money for school. Who would believe that, anyway?
But Gary did not harbour ill feelings against these traffic enforcers, saying they were just doing their jobs.
Each day, he goes home at 2-3 AM but has to get up early to go to school at 7AM. When they had a thesis in fourth year, he went for days without sleeping because he had to work extra hard to earn more money needed for the thesis. He was always the last one to pay the contributions because he still had to earn the money in the streets.
Still, with the help of his classmates and the patience of his professors despite him being always sleeping in class, Gary was finally able to graduate.
In a post that has gone viral on Facebook, Gary thanked not only family, friends, professors, and classmates, but also those passengers whose money helped send him to school.
“Salamat sa 8php at 7 php nyong pamasahe nakapag tapos ako!” he wrote.
Congratulations to you, Gary! You have also graduated from being a jeepney driver to becoming an IT graduate…
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
But one young man proved that jeepney drivers have dreams, too, and that they can also act on that dream and make it a reality!
Gary Roque, the son of a jeepney driver, also became a jeepney driver himself after quitting college. His father had dreamed of him becoming an engineer but he had chosen to enrol in Bachelor in Industrial Technology, Major in Computer Technology at Bulacan State University (BulSU) in Malolos, Bulacan.
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| Photo credit: Facebook / Gary Roque |
After 2 years in college, Gary thought that was enough. He quit school and became a jeepney driver. He realized that finding a job was difficult if you have not completed college – and being a jeepney driver is a physically demanding task. So, he went back to school.
His dad remains a jeepney driver but Gary didn’t want to depend on his parents, especially because he’s already of legal age; thus, he went to school during the day and continued being a jeepney driver at night.
After class hours, he rushes to the streets to earn money as jeepney driver. He admitted that there were times when he disobeyed the rules, picking up passengers at illegal spots but the traffic enforcers never believed when he said he was just trying to earn more money for school. Who would believe that, anyway?
But Gary did not harbour ill feelings against these traffic enforcers, saying they were just doing their jobs.
Each day, he goes home at 2-3 AM but has to get up early to go to school at 7AM. When they had a thesis in fourth year, he went for days without sleeping because he had to work extra hard to earn more money needed for the thesis. He was always the last one to pay the contributions because he still had to earn the money in the streets.
Still, with the help of his classmates and the patience of his professors despite him being always sleeping in class, Gary was finally able to graduate.
 |
| Photo credit: Facebook / Gary Roque |
In a post that has gone viral on Facebook, Gary thanked not only family, friends, professors, and classmates, but also those passengers whose money helped send him to school.
“Salamat sa 8php at 7 php nyong pamasahe nakapag tapos ako!” he wrote.
Congratulations to you, Gary! You have also graduated from being a jeepney driver to becoming an IT graduate…
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
