Construction worker graduates valedictorian

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan – An 18-year-old student who worked as construction worker to sustain his schooling, graduated valedictorian for the first batch of senior high school at Gueguesangen Integrated School here on April 3.

Michael Español garnered 95 percent average for the General Academics Strand he took up and took several other awards like Loyalty Award, Best in Business Ethics, Best in Contemporary Arts and outstanding student in work emission.

Español told The STAR he worked in a construction group by doing jobs like manually mixing cement, doing finishing touches in cemented portions, carry hollow blocks and cement and others.

He worked for two months during summer in a shopping mall in Dagupan to save money for his senior high schooling and help in their family needs like paying electric bill. He received P250 daily. “Although it’s hard, I took the opportunity to work to help myself and to share something for our home expenses,” Español said.

He said he is used to doing hard job.

Español walked from home to school and at times he didn’t have money to buy food.

He is second in a brood of four, their eldest is graduating in college, the third is in Grade 7 and the youngest in Grade 5.

His father Marlon works as office messenger in Valenzuela City while his mother, Rina, is a dressmaker.

Before he worked as construction worker, Michael also assisted his mother in the finishing stage of dresses she sewed.