Victories often arrive with fireworks—loud, boisterous, and meant to be seen. They turn heads and announce success to the world.

For Dyessa T. Elangos, however, her greatest achievement unfolded quietly, in ordinary and mundane moments and in the silent spaces of her home.

Starting from behind

Broken family. Out of school. Doing odd jobs just to survive.

This is how she described her early life. Fighting away tears, she recalled the hardships she faced at a time when her people her age were just beginning to chase their grand dreams. Out of high school, she had to put on hold her dreams of even entering college. Without the support of a complete family, survival is her priority, as a growling stomach demanded precedence over ambition.

At eighteen, she became a single mother. For someone already mired in poverty, this responsibility felt crushing. Dreams were not just postponed; they were nearly erased, especially the hope of finishing college when another life depended on her.

Still, Dyessa knew this was not the future she wanted for herself or her daughter. At twenty, with a two-year-old in tow, she enrolled at Compostela Valley State College.

While her classmates carried notebooks and pens, Dyessa carried far more. She balanced academics, work, and motherhood with the careful precision of a tightrope walker, knowing there was no safety net below. With no family to lean on, every challenge felt heavier, every setback more personal.

“Grabe jud kalisud (financially). Wala mi padulngan kay both parents layo sa amua, … so dili ka makapanawag gud ug help nga ‘wala na mi bugas’. …Grabe jud to among financial issues.”

(It was really hard financially. We had nowhere to turn because both of our parents were far from us, so we couldn’t just call and ask for help and say, ‘We’ve run out of rice.’ We were dealing with serious financial problems.)

Still, she pressed on, pushing forward inch by inch toward a dream that often felt out of reach.

The turning point

Once inside the college, Dyessa applied for a student assistant position and was eventually endorsed. Fate, quiet but deliberate, placed her at the Office of the College President. At first, the responsibility intimidated her. Knowing that her tasks directly supported the College President made every assignment feel more daunting.

“Kulba jud,” she admitted. “kay mas prefer unta nako nga utility (worker) kay maka-trabaho pa unta ko ug lain kay kaadlawn man sugod ang duty.”

(It was nerve-racking. I would have preferred to work as a utility staff member because I could have taken on another job, since the duty started very early in the morning.)

As a student assistant with a young daughter waiting at home, financial strain followed her like a persistent shadow. Money was always tight. Yet even in scarcity, Dyessa learned to notice grace in small, unexpected places.

“Malipay na lang pud ko maka-duty kay usahay malibre mi ug food, tapos naa pud mga employees nga mag-donate usahay.” she recounted.

(I would already feel happy just reporting for duty because sometimes we were given free food, and there were also employees who would occasionally donate.)

Those moments, simple as they were, felt like a ray of sunlight breaking through dark clouds.

Over time, her work ethic began to speak for her. She carried herself with quiet professionalism. In the steady rhythm of clerical tasks—sorting documents, arranging files, meeting deadlines—she found purpose and realized something she is good at.

“Malipay ko kung busy mi. Ganahan ko maghatud-hatud per office kay makabalo ko kung kinsa ang mga tao didto ug mas ma-hawd ko sa akong trabaho.”

(I feel happiest when we are busy. I enjoy delivering documents from one office to another because it allows me to get to know the people, and it helps me become more confident and skilled in my work.)

Her experience as a student assistant nurtured a strong sense of professionalism, dedication, and adaptability that, over time, became second nature. Soon, she became an integral part of the Office of the College President, where her deep knowledge and experience with the day-to-day office operations proved increasingly invaluable.

For her, the experience was a privilege because of the real-world training shaped by responsibility, trust, and perseverance.

The life saver

Still burdened by financial hardship, Dyessa recalls one specific moment of pure relief. In her second year, she and her sister, who was also a working student at DdOSC, applied and were granted the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) scholarship.

“Grabe jud ang privilege, tapos nakapasar pa jud mi sa TES then kami pa jud duha. Grabe ang blessing bisag nag-struggle mi.”

(It truly felt like a great privilege. We both even passed the TES, and it was just the two of us. The blessings were overwhelming, even in the midst of our struggles.)

For Dyessa, the support felt like a life jacket thrown to someone barely staying afloat. After years of relying solely on her own strength, the assistance became a rare moment of reprieve, a reminder that help could still arrive.

With the scholarship secured, she grew more confident that she would one day earn her degree, a future she once thought unreachable. For the rest of her time as a student assistant, she worked harder, built connections, and absorbed every skill she could. These, she believed, were tools she could one day use to build a better life.

Her win, finally

Today, Dyessa serves as an Administrative Assistant III at the Office of the College President. In a quiet but fitting turn of fate, her years as a student assistant became her strongest credential, paving the way for the regular-permanent position she now holds.

“Maka-ingon gyud ko nga diri nag-grow sa DdOSC, from scratch to now nga naa nay family, naa nay balay. Grateful kaayo ko sa akong journey sa DdOSC.”

(I can truly say that I grew here at DdOSC, from starting with nothing to now having a family and a home. I am deeply grateful for my journey at DdOSC.)

More than her title, however, is the life she has built beyond the office. Dyessa is now a college graduate, a dignified professional, and a mother of three, raising her family in a home shaped by stability and hope.

Broken family. Out of school. Doing odd jobs just to survive.

These were once the lines that opened her life. Today, they are the lines she has quietly rewritten into her story of perseverance, growth, and grace. Dyessa’s victory did not arrive with fireworks. It arrived steadily, patiently, and without fanfare.

And in that silence, the former student assistant finally won.

This feature is part of the #BulawanongSugilanon series, which highlights the stories of DdOSCians that truly deserve to be told. Stay tuned for more inspiring narratives from the DdOSC community.