Top 7 in respiratory therapist board exam from Tanudan inspired by sacrifices of single mom

Every individual has that certain person or people in his or her life that fuels the drive to strive harder and to dream bigger.

For an yTanudan who topped the February 2024 Respiratory Therapists Licensure Examination (RTLE), that person is her mom whom despite being alone worked hard to provide for her and for her younger sibling.

Being inspired by her mother, Giselle Precious Alvarez who hailed from Lubo, Tanudan placed 7th in the recently-conducted RTLE after garnering a 90.25% rating.

Mom as her inspiration

Alvarez, 23, a graduate of Pines City Colleges recounted to GURU Press Cordillera that her mother, Prescilla Baquilan, raised her and her younger sister all by herself that sometimes even when she was sick, she still went to work.

The topnotcher added that Baquilan made it look like everything was easy for her, but behind her reassurance and smile, Alvarez knew she was exhausted.

“I remember I cried a lot of times secretly because even though she was sick, she still went to work. She's not showing us how hard it was. But as a daughter, I can feel her pains and tears. She showed that everything was alright, even though it was not,” she shared.

Turning her mom’s sacrifices and determination into a motivation, Alvarez was determined to be included in the list of top 10 performing examinees in the board exam.

Challenges before the board exam

Just like any other examinees, Alvarez faced challenges while preparing for the February RTLE. One of these was having a hard time focusing because there were plenty of noises at their house where she was reviewing.

Instead of going outside, she had to endure her surroundings for she didn’t want to ask money from her mother.

“I wanted my mother to give it to my younger sister, who is currently in her internship. We are not financially privileged din kasi,” she narrated.

Dedicating success to mom, support system

Amidst struggles to focus on her review, her mom’s influence and the support of the people in her circle made Alvarez achieve her goal of being included in the list of topnotchers.

“I dedicated every shade to them,” she said.

Now that she passed the board exam, Alvarez intends to give back to her mom’s sacrifices saying, “I need to work so that my mother will rest. It is time to give back. I hope to be in an institution that will help me reach my dream of becoming a registered polysomnographic technologist.”