From a life of barely having 2 meals a day in Laguna, Arjay transformed into a reliable professional who paid for his own college education. After 5 years, he is first to graduate in his family with a bachelor’s degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Management from Manila Business College.

What a privilege it has been for us to witness Arjay realize his own potential and become who he is today. Arjay is continuing to honor his past by forging forward to realize his potential. In his words, “I’m a proud son of a taho vendor.”

Despite the fear and uncertainty of being in the big city and supporting her family, starting fresh with Messy Bessy reaped a bigger and brighter future for Anj - our very first college graduate and success story.

Before joining the program, Anj made the difficult decision of dropping out of school to be the family's breadwinner. For 8 years, she jumped from odd job to odd job, each one bringing her farther away from her dream of finishing school. She left her province and travelled to Metro Manila in order to find opportunities-this resulted in her working multiple odd jobs just to support her family.

At 25 years old, Anj pounced on the college opportunity at the then new and untested program of Messy Bessy. Anj did not hesitate to join the program because she was determined to juggle both academies and work. In 2015, after 10 years of grit, perseverance, and hard work, Anj graduated with Latin Honors from Manila Business College with a Bachelor Of Science in Accounting Technology.

Today, Anj serves as a symbol of motivation and hope to current and alumni scholars."You can take a rest, but you can never give up. Look for opportunities, and learn to adapt to the situation you're in so you can move forward".

In spite of her family’s financial situation, Pauline was able to get her life back on track by joining Messy Bessy’s program. Life before entering Messy Bessy was definitely a challenge for Pauline.

“My life was like an unlit candle,” she said, “I felt so lost, I didn’t know which path to take.” As problems arose, Pauline distanced herself from her studies. However, Messy Bessy was the candle that lit her way out of the dark.

By developing her sense of responsibility and learning about the value of optimism, Pauline is now thriving as a Treasury Assistant with a major development corporation. She believes that Messy Bessy helped mold her personality. Not only did she develop her responsibility and time management skills, but she learned important values that motivated her to pursue her dreams. She shares with her fellow scholars, “Being optimistic despite hardships brings new opportunities, and putting in the hard work leads to success.”