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| PMA MABALASIK Class of 2019 Valedictorian Dionne Mae Apolog Umalla receives the Presidential Saber from President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. guring the May 26 graduation rites at Fort del Pilar, Baguio City. (CCD-PIA CAR) |
BAGUIO CITY, May 27 (PIA) - - At young age she dreamt of becoming a doctor but because of financial constraints, she reluctantly settled of becoming a teacher. But faith led her to the Philippine Military Academy, and now she is ready to serve the country and the people as a military officer.
Dionne Mae Apolog Umalla of Alilem, Ilocos Sur, the top graduating cadet of the PMA “Mabalasik” (Mandirigma ng Bayan, Iaalay ang Sarili, Lakas at Tapang, Para sa Kapayapaan) Class of 2019, emotionally shared the story of her life in her valedictory address at the PMA Graduation rites at Fort Del Pilar, here Sunday.
Umalla recalled her ambition as a young girl to become a doctor. Growing up with three siblings being raised by their mother, a solo parent, she had to set aside her dream of becoming a doctor. She hesitantly enrolled Bachelor of Science in Education on scholarship. As she was beginning to have the passion for teaching as a profession, another door opened for her.
Her mother, a retired teacher, chanced upon the PMA application form and encouraged her daughter to give it a try. Umalla said she did not like it at first, but because of her love for her mother, she applied, passed and entered the Academy.
For what she has become, a PMA valedictorian and now an Ensign of the Philippine Navy, Mall profoundly thanked her mother.
As the top graduating cadet, she has many graduation awards, foremost is the Presidential Saber Award which was presented to her by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Umalla said each of the cadets may have different dreams, stories and paths taken on their way to the Academy, but now as PMA graduates they all now have the opportunity to serve the country and the people.
“More importantly, we became not what we wanted but what we needed to be, to serve the country and the Filipino people”, she said.
Umalla shared that more than her dream of becoming a doctor and a teacher, she has realized that her dreams only meant one thing, to serve the country and the people in those professions at all cost, under all circumstances.
“I have achieved that dream today, we all have and so I say, Handa napo kami. Patuloy kaming mangangarap para sa bayan at para sa kapwa naming Pilipino,” Umalla stressed.
The PMA "MABALASIK" Class of 2019 is composed of 261 - strong men and women, now Ensigns and 2nd Lieutenants of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
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