GINEBRA “ Life isn't about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.” This quote sums up what I believe about life. I am Abbegale Florendo Austria, 18, and currently living at Baluyot I Barangay Sauyo Novaliches, Quezon City. I grew up well disciplined by my parents, and they taught me to be polite. My mother, Aida Austria, who is a caring woman, teaches us to be a responsible child. She told me that it is important to be hardworking student to pursue my dreams. My hardworking father, Armando Austria always reminds me to love, trust, and thanks God. My brother, Aslee and younger sister Lisle Ann, made me feel that I'm not alone whenever I experience problems. My family really affects and influenced me for who I am now.

GINEBRA I went to kindergarten when I was four years old. I really love to study, read books, and review my lessons unlike the other children who always want to play and play. I still remember the time when my mother let me to sit on her lap and then she will start to teach me to read and write. I was really happy when I received the Most Outstanding Award in our school which I received at Araneta Coliseum, former QC mayor Sonny Belmonte is the one who gave me that award that's why I won't forget that moment. I felt proud of myself because I know that I made my parents proud and happy.

GINEBRA I was six years old when I became a grade 1 student at San Gabriel Elementary School. My elementary life was full of happiness, I met new friends, kind teachers, and I learned many lessons in that school. I always belong at the cream section and this made me feel proud of myself especially when I became the top 1 student when I was on grade 2, and I made it again when I was on grade 3. During my 4th grade, I became the best in Math and English. I became a news writer in our school's newspaper publication when I was in grade 5. I really can't explain my feelings when I first saw my own article in our newspaper. Because of trust that my teachers gave me, they sent me to compete with other news writer on different schools. I won the 1st place in Filipino newswriting in District Conference, wherein I defeated many good writers from different public and private school in Metro Manila. I feel happy when I made my teachers and my parents proud.
GINEBRA My experiences during my primary school help me to become a confident student. I became a 1st year high school student in Sta. Lucia High School when I was 12 years old. My high school life was full of trials, but still, I can say that it was the best. Because it was the time when I met my friends who are always there for me until now and I really made a good choice to be close with them. I learned much knowledge from my teachers that helped me to know more myself, to become a responsible daughter and student, and to know and nurture my talents. There was a time when we need to submit our own poem about our Filipino language, and I was shock when my teacher selects my poem to represent our year in the poem writing contest wherein I won the first prize. I didn't expect that I defeated my schoolmates’ that are older from me because I'm just a 2nd year student that time.

GINEBRA There were also many trials that I've experienced that almost make me give up. I once cried a lot when I receive a 76 in history, I know that I did my best and I even don't have any failed exam nor activities. My teacher found out that he recorded wrong score of my exams, until my grade has changed and it became 91. The problem that I've experienced during my high school life really helped me to be a greathearted student, and it also help me to know more about my myself. This made me think that nothing is hard if you have courage and faith.
GINEBRA When I was a child, I really dreamed to become a fashion designer, and until now it’s one of my goals in life. But I decided to enroll as a BS Entrepreneurship Management student at Quezon City Polytechnic University. Honestly, it is not my dream school, but because my parents want to study in that university, I obey them. I know that God has a plan why He let me to enroll in that University. Now, I am already a 3rd year student and time really flies so fast. My college life was again, full of challenges. There were so many assignments, activities, and exams but I know it's part of it and it will really help us a lot. I can honestly say that having friends is not my priority unlike during my high school and elementary days. I go to school to study, to learn new things, to train my abilities, to improve my knowledge, and to be inspired by my professors who always share their life experiences.

GINEBRA "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced," like what Soren Kierkegaard said. I sometimes lose in life but it is not the end of everything. I am a coward person, honestly. I’m not fearless, I don't share my feelings and problems on anyone, only me and God know how hard my life is. I'm always shy, I don't know why I'm afraid to speak in front of other people, to speak for myself. I'm afraid on what might people say about me. But I decided to change my life. It wasn’t a choice. It’s a decision. I used my defeats and trials as my inspiration. Life must go on. I should not mind what they are going to say. God and my family motivate and inspire me to go up, to do what I want and to be myself.