MANILA, Philippines – For nearly three years, John Michael Bundalian Amio dedicated his nights to handling customer calls and resolving issues. His days were equally demanding as he juggled his studies and relentlessly pursued his dream.
On March 7, 2025, that dream came true. The 23-year-old from Barangay Babo Sacan, Porac, Pampanga, secured the top spot in the February 2025 Criminology Licensure Exam (CLE) with an impressive score of 92.20 percent, outperforming over 22,000 successful examinees.
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| Photo courtesy: John Michael Bundalian Amio/Facebook |
He said in an interview with GMA Regional TV that at first, he thought it was just a prank when he was told he topped the board exam. But when he saw the list himself, he and his friends couldn’t care less about the people around them as they screamed with joy.
His girlfriend was moved to tears because of his achievement.
While studying, he worked as a call center agent and also did side hustles as an event coordinator. In addition, he also worked in construction. For John, if given the choice, this is the part of his life he wouldn’t want to experience again, as he was often late for school and sometimes even fell asleep in class due to extreme exhaustion and lack of sleep from working.
"Nagtrabaho ako as call center [agent], nagtrabaho rin ako as event coordinator, and on top of that nagpipintura as construction worker po. Yun po yung part ng buhay ko na ayaw ko nang mangyari kasi namimiss ko yung ibang classes ko, nale-late ako, nakakatulog ako sa classes," he said.
He is simply grateful that the faculty members and his professors understood his situation, as he was open about being a working student.
"The faculty understand kasi open naman ako, hindi ko naman kinakayahiya na nagtratrabaho ako sa call center, na working student ako. Hindi naman ako pinanganak sa mayamang pamilya," John added.
John became a working student because he openly admitted that he did not come from a well-off family. His parents make a living through a small sari-sari store that supported him and his siblings.
“Never let your circumstances define your potential,” he said.
His advice to fellow students and board exam takers is that if they know they have potential, they have to work for it.
Congratulations, John!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
