MANILA, Philippines – A former construction worker impressed everyone when he landed in the Top 10 of the October 2022 Certified Public Accountant Licensure Exam (CPALE).
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| Butch Warren Hojas is now a Certified Public Account from being a construction worker | Photo courtesy: Facebook/ Katherine Escorial Libago – Hojas |
Truly, hardwork and grit are some of the keys to success, as a hardworking construction worker beat all odds to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Even more impressive, he was ranked No. 10 in the licensure exam with an average rating of 87.50 percent.
The 32-year-old man worked in construction for 7 years, including spending 4 years abroad. He admitted that at his age, he thought finishing college was impossible. But his dream of a better future encouraged him to give it another try.
He said, “At first I was hesitant to continue studying because I was out-of-school for 11 years already. Baka kinakalawang na yung utak ko, baka hindi ko kayang sumabay sa mga k-12 graduates. Pero nagpasya ako na pa gandahin yung buhay ko pati na sa pamilya ko kaya itinuloy ko yung pag-enroll sa kolehiyo.”
According to Butch, he took his chance seriously and wholeheartedly. All he did was study and work hard. Even during his birthday, holidays, or special occasions, he remained consistent and studied hard. “Pinangarap ko talagang maging CPA kung kaya yung pagsisikap ko ganun na lang,” he shared.
Butch almost stumbled on his dream when he had a child when he was in his fourth year. He thought of quitting school to provide for his family. But his determination pushed him to work more.
“Pero talagang hindi ko sinuko yung pangarap kong maging isang ganap na CPA lalo’t malapit ko na itong maabot. Kaya nagpasya kami ng asawa ko na iwan muna yung aming anak sa mother niya. Dahil sa pagkakataon na binigay sa akin ng asawa ko na makapag-focus sa paghahanda para sa board exam ay sinigurado ko na magiging kontento ako sa preparasyon ko para sa board exam,” he said.
“Literal na binigay ko lahat simula umpisa nong mag-accountancy ako. I did it so that I can honestly say to myself na ginawa ko lahat at wala akong pagsisihan no matter the result of CPALE,” he added.
In the end, Butch hard work paid off as he graduated from the University of the Visayas-Cebu City. He was among the topnotchers from the 1,722 passers out of 6,665 examinees of the October 2022 CPALE.
— Sally, The Summit Express
