Casas. Photo courtesy of Gene Terri Casas

MANILA -- Gene Terri Casas was reviewing for a report for her graduate class when she found out that she passed the Agriculturist Licensure Examination.

Garnering a final score of 84.50%, Casas placed seventh among the 927 passers.

Overjoyed with the unexpected results, Casas could only thank God, her parents, and her 8-year-old daughter for inspiring her to push harder and aspire for bigger things in life.

Eight years ago as a student at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Casas recalled that she was "lost and confused." She had low self-esteem and she thought she would not do well in the field of science.

Humble beginnings, great dreams

As the only child of banana plantation workers in Davao del Norte, Casas had big dreams for her family.

She passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) in 2004 and more importantly, she was able to get a scholarship from the Don Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. Foundation to pursue BS Agricultural Chemistry in UP Los Baños (UPLB), even if she wasn't that interested in the sciences.

"I had a preconception that I was meant to be a writer, not a science person. I had zero confidence that I can be good at anything related to science," she told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

"I wanted to take AB English or Creative Writing, but since this is a scholarship and in UPLB no less, I decided to go with it."

Despite her hard work, Casas could barely pass her subjects. This prompted her to shift to BS Agriculture, majoring in Entomology.

But she still failed some of her subjects, and she lost her scholarship.

"I didn’t give my best, hence the constant failure. And because of that constant failure I succumbed into more self-loathing, self-pity and overall self-shaming," she recalled.

But Casas's parents did not give up on their only child. They managed to fund her education with their meager income.

A blessing in disguise

Due to her failures, Casas was on the verge of giving up on her dreams. And to top it all off, she found out that she was pregnant.

"I was shocked, but I felt awesome at the same time. Surely the circumstance should not permit me to be happy but knowing that there’s a life inside of me felt amazing," Casas said.

"It was as if God touched you and mandated you to nurture something as precious as life."

Casas had to postpone her studies for a year to give birth and take care of her baby.

But her parents continued to push her to finish her degree. "My parents were so heartbroken, but they supported me all the way still," she quipped.

Casas eventually returned to UPLB. And while the science courses remained tough, the biggest challenge for Casas then was being away from her daughter whom she left under the care of her parents in Davao del Norte.

"Being a mother and a student at the same time, and being far away from your child, is very challenging. I still failed some subjects and finally I graduated in 2012," she said.

A blossoming career

After getting a degree in Agriculture, Casas returned to Davao del Norte to apply in the same company where her parents work.

She is currently an entomologist in the company's research arm. On weekends, she goes to school for her graduate class.

"I plan to continue on working here in this company and conduct more research works in banana. I am also taking my master's degree in Agriculture major in Crop Protection at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Tagum City" Casas said.

Casas has faith in the banana industry and that's why she wants to participate in continuing studies on how to make banana farming more sustainable.

A life-long commitment

Photo courtesy of Gene Terri Casas

In between all these responsibilities, Casas manages to fulfill her duties to her daughter.

While she may have had difficulties in acquiring a degree, Casas said she is proud of what she has become -- both as a scientist and a mother.

"The path I took was surely not easy. But all of it was because of the choices and the less-thought-of decisions I made," she said.

Casas noted that being a solo parent is a choice, not a predicament.

"Maybe it is not like the usual family setting wherein both parents are present but it is a family still. Being upset is not exclusively meant for single parents alone. It’s a general human experience," she said.

"I do not hate my child’s biological father. He and his family also provide support for my daughter and they love her, and for me that’s more than enough. To not be 'typical' is really a choice, and it’s not 'na-ano' lang," she said.

Casas added that the secret to becoming a successful solo parent is by loving one's self no matter how complicated the situation is.

"You’re a normal person and like anybody else you can also succeed in whatever endeavors you wish to pursue. Maybe it’ll just take longer compared to others but as they say, there is a perfect timing for everything. You’ll just get there eventually."

And while some people may judge her for her mistakes, Casas is confident that a brighter future awaits her and her family.