Rose Vega

MY OFFERING  . . . What I can offer to the world, to humankind

I was born in Manila, Philippines and came to the US 18 years ago after the assassination of Benigno Aquino, a strong presidential candidate against the Marcos regime.  We were under Marshall law there.   One can become a prisoner without due process of law.  At the same time my husband who is also Philippine/American invited me to come to US.  It was perfect timing. But I was hesitant.  I didn’t want to leave and be uprooted.  I was established and working on my master’s degree and teaching at the University. I loved to teach. 

After coming to the US I wanted to teach. I wanted to share.  I was told that I needed to go back to school to do that.  Instead, I went to study data entry.  I worked in an insurance brokerage firm for 7 years.  I was laid off during the recession in the early 90s. 

I had to decide what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  . . going back to teaching  . . to make a choice  of teaching as a service. . . I wanted to have a career along that line . . . There was a piece in me missing.  So my younger sister, who is an RN, said:  “This is service!” 

I discovered about the LPN Program and I told myself I can do that. I got a contract paying my tuition in exchange for working for the VA full time for a year after I graduated. 

Soon after, I started school at HCC working on my prerequisites, Associate of Arts Degree in Nursing.  The VA continued to send me to school on a reimbursement program.

It is a struggle.  It is hard, working fulltime and going to school because that is my contract to work full time for the hospital.   But you forget all the hardships and difficulties when you obtain the goal.

 It is my faith, my belief that I have been given the talents and I need to tap those talents so both others and myself will benefit.  That is the essence of being human-- living life to it’s fullest.  Being in the US, opportunities are over flowing and one has to make use of those opportunities.  School makes you a better person.  It has for me! I would do it all over again. . . . .

My Goals: To complete BA and finish my Masters.