PWD student fulfills dream, graduates magna cum laude from PUP

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are often faced with societal and physical barriers that prevent them from fully reaching their ambitions, leaving them stuck and unable to fulfill their dreams. In the case of Alvin Cardinez, a PWD student who was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, he proved to everyone and himself that his disability, despite all the setbacks it brought to his life, did not deter him from achieving his lifelong dreams and succeeding in graduating with high honors from his chosen university – the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). 

After many years of hard work, Cardinez saw his efforts bear fruit when he graduated magna cum laude from PUP’s Open University System (OUS) with a public administration degree last Sept. 2, bringing joy and relief to himself and his loved ones who supported him through all these years and shared in his achievements. 

Cardinez’s lifelong dream was to complete his education, and though his disability meant facing unexpected delays in his journey, Cardinez adapted to the new circumstances in his life as a PWD and persevered through obstacles, ultimately fulfilling his dream.

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The diagnosis that changed his life

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Cardinez was a young man who had mapped out the trajectory of his life, completing his studies and graduating on time alongside his classmates, and for a while, it seemed his life was normal and going according to plan. 

But then, in 2017, when he was in Grade 11 at Nemesio I. Yabut Senior High School, Cardinez was diagnosed with systemic scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease that prevented him from performing tasks without putting his health at risk, putting a screeching halt to his academic activities. The diagnosis and forced pause on his studies were a devastating blow to Cardinez, who prioritized his education above all else. 

Cardinez spent two years focusing on his health, but he was unhappy about having to give up his education, which he had hoped to complete on time with his peers. It was not until 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown necessitated a shift to remote learning, that Cardinez saw a chance to continue his education in a way that would not further jeopardize his health. He re-enrolled in online classes and worked hard to complete his studies until he finally graduated from his senior high school’s HUMSS strand with high honors in 2022.

After completing Grade 12, Cardinez’s hopes that he could achieve his dreams despite his circumstances were reignited. He searched for universities that could accommodate his disability, and came to know about PUP OUS, an alternative schooling program that provides flexible and inclusive education to students facing difficulties attending regular classes. Cardinez was inspired to enroll in the university, seeing the system as an opportunity to continue his education and help him manage the challenges of balancing his personal life and health.

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PUP OUS greatly helped Cardinez as it facilitated achieving his dream of completing his educational journey by graduating from college.  

“Now that I have graduated, I appreciate the system even more. I believe that flexible and accessible education is very important, especially for working students, parents, people with disabilities and students who may face unexpected circumstances while pursuing their education,” Cardinez told INQUIRER.net.

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The motivation to keep going 

Being a student with disability brought difficult challenges to Cardinez’s health and life that forced him to discard plans he once had for his future, leading to a dark period where it seemed his dreams were gone before he could ever fulfill them. But Cardinez persevered, giving himself two motivations to keep pursuing his dreams.

The first was the desire to prove to himself that his life did not end when he was diagnosed with his disease and that he could still achieve his dreams despite the unexpected circumstances that drastically changed his life. The second motivation was his family and friends.

“My family was a very important source of motivation. Their support reminded me that I was not going through everything alone. I also wanted to make them proud and show them that all the sacrifices we made along the way were worth it,” Cardinez says.

He explains that the love and care he received from his family pulled him from the dark and pushed him to keep pursuing his dreams, and he saw the support he received from his online friends, even those he never met face to face, as a blessing because it showed him that he was not alone in this world. 

To Cardinez, continuing his studies and graduating from college was motivated both by a desire to reclaim a dream he thought was lost and to pay back all the love, care and support he received from his family and friends throughout the journey that helped him believe again in his dream and achieve them. Now, he shares those achievements with his loved ones.

Life beyond disability 

Cardinez faced many trials and tribulations but persevered through them all to achieve his dream of completing his education and sharing his achievements with his loved ones, making them proud of him. 

Now a magna cum laude graduate from PUP, Cardinez has reflected on his journey and come to an epiphany about student life and life as a PWD. He says that every student has a different journey with their education. So, even if others take longer than others to graduate on time or face difficulties, it does not mean they have failed or are incapable; it just means their circumstances are different, and continuing on to face challenges is already an achievement in itself. 

And as a PWD, Cardinez realized that his disability did not spell the end of his life and was not supposed to deter him from reaching his dreams. He reminds PWDs like him that they are not alone in this world and must speak out for their rights and support each other. Students and PWDs, he says, must realize that it is better to walk at your own pace rather than to struggle to keep up with your peers and that you can rely on others.

“I hope we never allow other people’s expectations of what a person with a disability can or cannot do to define us. I also want to remind everyone that you do not have to go through your journey alone. There may be people around you, even people from places you never expected, who are willing to support you, care for you, pray for you, and believe in you.” — Angel Aguibiador, INQUIRER.net trainee

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