20/09/2025
The blazing sun spilled through the glass walls of Jollibee and painted the tables with gold. I was waiting for my food when a crew member walked over with a tray and placed it gently in front of me. “Here is your order sir,” he said with a polite smile. Something in his face tugged at my memory like a photograph half remembered. I asked for his name. He answered softly, “Harvey Kent, sir. Student ko sauna sa Lumbia tapos akong adviser si Sir Gio.” In that instant the picture became clear. He was one of our Senior High School graduates.
Not long ago, Harvey stood on a stage wearing a cap and gown, his eyes shining as if he could already see the life waiting ahead. Now, he wears the bright blue and red uniform and moves quickly among tables, his hands steady and his voice calm. The glow of graduation has not dimmed. It has only changed colors. Each step he takes inside the store and each order he serves is part of a longer road toward his dream.
“Manarbaho sa ko sir para maka tigom ko pang skwela ug college,” Harvey said with quiet honesty. His words were simple yet they carried the weight of sacrifice. Every smile he offers to a customer and every tray he carries across the crowded hall is more than routine. It is hope made visible, a reminder that dreams can live even in the busiest corners of everyday life.
Watching him earlier today felt as if the whole store had turned into a stage where perseverance was the main act. Children laughed over fried chicken and parents shared stories over spaghetti and in the middle of it all was Harvey serving with patience and grace. Success is not measured only by diplomas. Sometimes it is found in the courage to keep going when the path is hard.
I left Jollibee with more than my meal. I carried a sense of pride that one of our own had chosen strength over surrender. Harvey Kent’s journey is a gentle call to every young person that no matter how steep the climb your dream is still waiting. Like Harvey, you can take the long road with steady steps knowing the light will always be there at the end.
Mabuhay ka!
