For years, Ricky and Elma Gutierrez walked the halls of a prestigious university in the Philippines, cleaning classrooms, bathrooms, and offices. They never had great wealth, but they shared a dream: that their children could build a future full of opportunities.
Both worked as cleaning staff at Ateneo de Manila University, where they made enormous sacrifices to support their family.
There were times when they had just two eggs to share among everyone, while taking out loans to buy the materials and devices their children needed to study.
“I don’t mind going through hardships, as long as you can finish college”, Ricky would tell them.
Their efforts began to pay off in 2019, when their son Riel graduated with honors in Psychology.
Four years later, their daughter Rica also received her degree with honors, this time in Economics and Administration.
Both had studied at the same institution where their parents worked as cleaners.
Rica was never ashamed of her parents’ work. On the contrary, seeing them work every day was her greatest motivation to succeed.
“Everyone knew my parents were custodians. I was never ashamed of that”, she said.
Her brother Riel summed up the family story in a phrase that moved thousands of people:
“Two graduates with honors, two cleaning workers, and one university”.
Behind every diploma were years of hard work, tired hands, and two parents who never stopped believing in their children. ❤️