Many netizens were touched by the inspiring story of Eugene dela Cruz, an Ateneo de Manila University graduate, who overcame four years of homelessness on the streets of Metro Manila before earning a degree with honors.
Now 25 years old, Eugene graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Honors Program), with a specialization in Financial Economics and a minor in Decision Science. In an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR, he shared the extraordinary journey that took him from sleeping under bridges to walking across the stage at one of the country’s top universities.
“At only 12 years old, I found myself disowned, stripped of a home, and left to survive on the streets of Metro Manila. For the next four years, I wandered. I begged. I slept under bridges when it rained, in alleyways when the skies were clear, and inside parked tricycles or jeepneys when I got lucky. But for the most part, I was invisible: a child surviving in a world that kept moving without me,” he shared.
Despite the odds, Eugene persevered. It took him a decade to complete high school, but every step forward reaffirmed his belief that he wasn’t lost. “And when that chapter ended, another opened—One I never dreamed would be possible: Ateneo,” he said.
Eugene never thought that he would attend Ateneo. He didn’t have the polished resume or financial resources typical of many university students. But what he did have was a powerful story of survival and an unyielding desire to turn his pain into purpose.
“I applied through the Office of Admission and Aid, pouring my entire story into the application, not because I thought it would impress anyone, but because I had nothing else to offer except the truth. Ateneo saw more than my gaps and my scars and, by some grace, the Ateneo took a chance on someone like me,” he said.
Now a proud Atenean, Eugene reflects on the lessons his journey has taught him. “What I’ve learned is that light can still shine even in the darkest of places—and sometimes, you become that light yourself.”
To young Filipinos who are currently facing the same kind of hardship he once did, Eugene offers this heartfelt message: “There were so many moments when I could’ve given up. So many reasons to stop. And there were a lot of times when I thought of doing so. But I kept going — and now I’ve seen what’s possible on the other side of pain. So whatever you’re going through, I hope you keep going too. Because someone out there is waiting to hear your story. Someone is praying for your victory. And even when it feels like no one’s clapping for you, Heaven is still cheering you on.”
Photo courtesy of Eugene dela Cruz)
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