Dreaming beyond limits: One mother’s return to school later in life

At 41 years old, May begins most days long before sunrise.

She wakes at 4 a.m. to prepare breakfast for her husband and six children before helping cook for the family’s small food business in Tayabas City, Philippines. By midday, she boards multiple tricycles (motorbikes with passenger sidecars) to travel to class. After school, she returns to the business and works until midnight.

Somewhere in between, she studies information technology, serves as a parent leader in her community, audits group savings for fellow families and still finds time to encourage other mothers not to give up on their dreams.

For May, education was never just about herself. It was about creating a different future for her family.

“I am not leaving that dream of mine,” she said about finishing her education.

Today, through the Unbound Scholarship Program, May is pursuing a diploma in information technology, a goal she once believed had slipped out of reach forever.

A dream deferred

May’s journey back to school began decades ago.

In the early 2000s, she attended college while working as a student employee in a school cafeteria and supply office. But financial hardship and family responsibilities forced her to stop studying before she could graduate.

Her family depended on every peso she earned.

After her father suffered a stroke and lost his ability to work, May used her earnings to help start a small food business. What began as selling porridge from a roadside shed slowly grew into a modest restaurant operated by her family.

Over the years, May took on many roles to support her household. She worked as a cook, a vendor, an insurance agent and a property sales agent. Through it all, the desire to finish school stayed with her. Still, returning to school as a mother of six felt overwhelming.

At first, May struggled to find a school that would accept an older student, as college admissions standards had changed along with expanded high school curriculums. Tuition costs also stood in the way.

During the pandemic, she quietly enrolled in grade 11 classes without telling many people, worried about how others might judge her.

“I felt so shy during that time because I knew it was only for regular students and I am already old,” she said.

But despite her fears, she kept going.

Eventually, May graduated from grade 12 alongside her own daughter. Both mother and daughter earned honors.

A scholarship that changed everything

May’s determination caught the attention of local Unbound staff after they saw a social media post showing her representing her school in an academic competition.

Soon after, staff members encouraged her to continue her education through Unbound’s scholarship program for mothers.

“At first, I didn’t believe them,” May recalled. “I was not really thinking that this was all happening.”

When she learned there was an opportunity to continue studying with financial support, she decided to take the chance.

Today, May studies information technology at El Royale Hotelier Training Center Inc. The scholarship helps cover school expenses including transportation, supplies, food allowances and technology she needs for class.

“As a scholar of Unbound, I receive many benefits,” she said. “I can buy my own shoes, tools and materials that I need for my course of study.”

May's husband, Alvin, works as a jeepney driver, providing the main source of income for the family. The additional scholarship support means May does not have to choose between her family’s daily needs and her education.

According to Emerlita Llamera, an Unbound staff member in Tayabas City, the scholarship program was created to help mothers continue educational dreams that poverty or other circumstance interrupted.

“Most of the time,” Llamera explained, “their husbands were the one working for the needs of their family, and they feel that they will be an additional burden. So, this scholarship program is a big support for them.”

Balancing family, leadership and school

May’s days are demanding.

She attends afternoon and evening classes while managing responsibilities at home and in her community. She serves as a council adviser and auditor for local self-help groups connected to Unbound, helping monitor records, savings and family support efforts for sponsored members.

Her leadership grew naturally over years of volunteering and supporting other families.

“She is very hardworking, helpful to her fellow mothers and sponsored families, very reliable,” Llamera said. “Even if we know that she is already loaded with work, she keeps on volunteering herself.”

At home, May also remains deeply involved in her children’s education. Her eldest daughter, Alliah, is now studying psychology in college.

May believes returning to school has strengthened her relationship with her children and helped her better understand their generation and experiences.

“As a mother and as a woman who [has] a dream, even if they say I am old, age is just a number,” she said.

Her studies in information technology have also opened unexpected doors. Though she initially thought IT was simply about “clicking on computers,” she has learned skills in programming, bookkeeping, AutoCAD, web development and Microsoft Office applications.

She now uses those skills while serving her community, helping organize financial records and prepare professional documents for local groups.

“They only think I’m already a professional,” she said with a laugh. “But when they see me wearing my ID, they will say, ‘Oh, you’re just a student?’”

An example for other mothers

For May, education is about more than earning a diploma. It’s about proving that dreams do not expire.

She hopes her journey shows other mothers — especially those who experienced early parenthood or interrupted schooling — that it is never too late to begin again.

“To my fellow mothers who would like to be what I am right now, never stop dreaming,” she said.

Her children are watching her persistence. So are the families she serves through Unbound.

After graduation, May hopes to continue working in service to others, whether through technology, education or even alongside Unbound staff who encouraged her along the way.

“If I become a staff of Unbound in the future, I will accept it with all my heart,” she said.

For now, she continues balancing homework, leadership meetings, long commutes and family life — one determined step at a time.

Because for May, education is not only changing her future — it’s transforming what her children believe is possible for theirs.

Partner with students like May as they work to realize their dreams of an education when you make a one-time or $20 minimum monthly donation to the Unbound Scholarship Program.

Unbound regional reporter for Asia Tristan John Cabrera contributed information and photos for this story.