My name is Mary Grace Ann C. Bueno. I am the fruit of the love that once existed between Vicente Bueno and Yvette Chua Peck. I only have one sibling named Maryknoll.

In my early age, I thought that life is perfect. I’ve had a complete and happy family. I can get all I wanted and I was surrounded by people who love me. Simply, I lived an ordinary life but not until I reached six years old.

It happened that there’s not a day that my parents won’t be into a fight. The reason behind it was the jealousy of my dad over nonsense things. This problem hasn’t got a solution; instead, the fights grew bigger everyday. Not long after, they got separated. During those days, I still don’t understand what’s really going on. I was so innocent. I was blinded by the lie that life is perfect.

As I enter the age of 10, I started to see the bigger world. The truth behind the lie I’ve believed in was revealed. I was able to see the real world and to live in reality. I have understood all the things going on and that life isn’t perfect. I have realized that this world is, indeed, cruel.

Years after, the marriage of my parents has been annulled and it was declared that we will be in the custody of my mom. Since then, we lost contact with my dad and took no financial support coming from him. As for now, I used to live without him but, I admit, there are times that I still long for a love coming from him. I wonder what the feeling of having a father is.

I’m glad that all these disasters didn’t put me down. And they wouldn’t be able, in any way. Rather, they have become my inspiration to pursue on my studies. It served as my motivation to strive for a better life. And with my head up high, I can say that I've succeeded. I graduated salutatorian during elementary and 2nd honorable mention during high school. I was a consistent honor student and I have brought home many awards.

But the battle isn’t over yet. I still have to strive harder now that I am in college. I want to graduate with flying colors and bring honor to my ever-hard-working mom. Then again, I know I will succeed. I must succeed.

I have countless dreams to reach and lots of ambitions to achieve in life. I want to graduate with honor (Suma, magna or cumlaude). I want to have a successful career life. I want to have a complete family in the future. I will choose my man wisely, as the saying goes, “brain before heart”. I will never have a broken family, that thing is for certain.

I know that all of these would come to pass. But it is of course only with the help of Our Almighty God.