26/07/2026
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๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐
Long before she donned a MAAP uniform, Ens. Princess Beverly D. Melon LPT, PN (Res) was standing in front of a classroom.
Fresh from graduating from college and passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2019, she entered the profession that many expected her to pursue. Teaching was familiar territory. Her mother, a college graduate and housewife, had always envisioned her daughters becoming teachers. As the youngest child in the family, Ens. Melon often felt that following her mother's wishes was the path laid out for her. Without a strong preference of her own, she took that path willingly.
For two academic years, she worked as a private school teacher at Holy Infant School of Malungon Inc., guiding students through lessons and helping shape their futures. As many educators, she frequently asked her students a simple question:
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Similar answers kept recurring.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ซ.
Again and again, one dream seemed to echo through her classroom. She encouraged them, advised them, and helped them explore ways to pursue their ambitions. Yet with every conversation, she found herself remembering a dream she had quietly set aside.
Years before entering college, MAAP had already been introduced to her when she was in her high school years. The maritime industry was not unfamiliar either. Her father worked as a driver and local rescuer, and through him, she had developed an interest in the life of seafarers. She imagined becoming an engineer, traveling the world and building a future at sea. At the time, those thoughts seemed distant and impractical, eventually giving way to the teaching profession.
Yet some dreams are too persistent to stay in the past.
In late 2020, the dream she had once set aside slowly found its way back into her thoughts. Although she was grateful for her work as a teacher and the opportunities that came with it, she couldnโt ignore the feeling that there was still something she wanted to pursue. Little by little, she realized that her heart was leading her in a different direction.
Then came a moment of clarityโone that would shape the course of her future.
"If you're still in school, your mindset is focused on graduating," she reflected. "But once you graduate, life becomes different. You begin thinking about how you're going to make a living and build your future."
In March 2021, during the height of the pandemic, she decided to take a chance on the dream she had postponed for years. She applied to MAAP, completing the entrance examination, physical fitness test, and online interviews conducted through Zoom. The process was far from easy. Around the same time, she applied to the Department of Education for the second time. It was actually the same day the results for both came out. She ranked 1st in RQA (DepEd) and was on the list for reporting at MAAP.
She chose to see this opportunity as a sign to move forward.
She entered MAAP carrying both uncertainty and determination. At first, some of her reasons seemed simple. She wanted to travel the world. She wanted to become a disciplined individual. She wanted to become a competent engineer and officer. Yet as the years passed, those reasons evolved into something deeper. The academy challenged her in ways she had never imagined, demanding resilience, discipline, and personal growth.
The woman who once helped students discover their dreams was now pursuing her own.
As graduation approached, there were moments when Ens. Melon doubted whether she would make it to the finish line. Like many cadets, she faced obstacles that tested her confidence and perseverance. There were times when she thought her future would simply involve finding work. Yet she continued moving forward, one challenge at a time.
Today, as a member of the MAAP Class 2026 1st batch, Ens. Princess Beverly D. Melon LPT, PN (Res) stands at the threshold of a new chapter. Her journey serves as a reminder that dreams do not always follow a straight path. Sometimes they are delayed. Sometimes they are set aside for the expectations of others. And sometimes, they return when we least expect them.
Years ago, she stood in front of a classroom asking her students what they wanted to become. In helping them search for their future, she unknowingly found her own. Through courage, persistence, and faith in herself, she chose to pursue the dream that had quietly waited for her all along. Now, as she prepares to navigate new seas, her journey stands as a beacon of perseverance, proving that even dreams set aside can still guide us to the destinations we are meant to reach.
Words by: 3CL Matias, Alexandria
Layout by: 3CL Perillo, Nathleen
