Karen Nuevas Padayao: Honorary breadwinner

To beat the odds, Karen Padayao blends in familial values of respect, discipline and diligence with fairly brisk stirring. To blend in recognitions accorded her by family and private groups, she mixes humility fully and thoroughly with persistence. To stir in consciousness that she has to live up to the expectation of becoming a perfect example as to how a Filipino youth should be, she combines the rest of life’s essentials which finally got her off to a good hot start.

Like baking, Karen has to knead her life’s “dough” by folding her interest in military training over toward herself. “Before sa graduation (high school), nakadawat man mi’g forms if ever interested mi sa PMA (Philippine Military Academy). Sulay-sulay ra to ako pag-fill up if madawat ba ko. Dayon nawala na to sa akong hunahuna kay naka-enroll naman ko sa UP,” she said.

Having received training from a special Science class at the New Ormoc City National High School, a scholarship from the Department of Science and Technology in 2005 led her to the University of the Philippines Visayas Cebu College with high hopes of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

“But then nakadawat ko’g letter inviting me to join the organization, so I said to myself ‘why not’? It might be something nga I might be good in,” Karen further shared in a recent interview at the headquarters of the Julie’s Franchise Corporation where she received her “token for success” from JFC founder Julie Gandionco.

Karen, of Ormoc City, arrived at the C. Padilla home base of JFC for the recognition ceremony where Julie herself and her two sons – Roberto (chief executive officer) and Joseph (president and chief operating officer) as well as her granddaughter Dianne (corporate relations supervisor) honored Karen the “second time around,” for living up to the ideals of the three-decade-old bakeshop: demonstrating drive for excellence in her chosen field by cutting in her leadership skills as the main ingredient, beating in her passion for quality work, and folding in her consistency in being an achiever since kindergarten.

Last March 1, Karen finished ninth place among 226 graduates; first among female graduates of the 2010 Class Masidlak (Mandirigmang Sibol ng Dakilang Lahing Kayumanggi).

It was learned that in 2001, when Karen was just in grade school, Julie’s Bakeshop’s Leaders for the Future Award Program was launched. Because Karen graduated on top of her class at the Ormoc City Central School, her teachers recommended her for the LFA, making her part of the pioneering batch of LFAs.

The 10-year-old LFA program gives recognition to public elementary graduates in more than 400 locations who not only excel in their academics and are active in the school’s activities, but who also take the lead in making a difference in the community.

Says Dianne: “The award is not exclusive to valedictorians. What we are looking for in student-awardees is their civic-mindedness. Not all valedictorians are willing to serve their communities. The likes of Karen are rare. Mao na nga quality among gipangita sa awardee. Somebody who is not only an achiever but who more than anything else cares a lot to be our partners in community building as what our company hopes our youth to be.”

What’s most striking about Karen’s chosen path is the fact that there weren’t any early indications she would gravitate towards military training. In fact, she said, she never had prior citizen’s military training. Not because she wasn’t drawn to such vocation; it was just a policy of the New Ormoc City High to limit student leaders from dabbling in multiple student organizations so as not to jeopardize responsibilities. Karen saw her potential more with the student government as its president.

“Both in elementary and high school, I served sa student body. Wala ko magtoo nga padulong diay sa PMA akong path,” she said.

Karen’s mother Myrna (nee Nuevas), a retired teacher of a fisheries school in Carigara, Leyte, said that though she wasn’t that shocked anymore as to the preference of her daughter, who has been actively involved in countless school activities, she of course was reluctant at first. “Pero in my heart lang. Kay I already saw it nga she would excel. Wala naman gyod ko makurat ba kay consistent man god siya since kinder nga honor student. And of course as parent dili man ta totally makabuot unsa ang path sa atong mga anak. We are just there to guide. I’m also blessed that my children have this respect for us their parents despite our strict policies at home.”

To which Karen’s elder siblings Jenrik and Erika added: “Disiplinado na gyod na siya. Very determined. She is not afraid to take the lead. That’s why it came as no surprise for us that she made it kay she fought back emotional challenges much too much while inside the PMA on her first year.”

Karen recalls, “lisod gyod sa sinugdanan kay it’s my first time malayo sa akong pamilya. On my first year, there was that nauseating desire to quit. But the training helped a lot to battle first with your personal conviction. And also because my parents are very supportive, the PMA really brought out the best in me.”

Karen will be reporting sometime next month at the headquarters of the Second Division of the Philippine Army and already has the hints that her baptism of fire would take her somewhere in Luzon. “Either sa field gyod or involves office management ang akong first assignment,” she disclosed.

As for Dianne, she said that it really is a pain to have never earlier designed a tracking system for all the awardees, but that they are hoping that once Karen’s story would make it to the papers, this would inform other recipients as well that Julie’s is planning a reunion, most especially for those who have further promoted Julie’s vision of building a better Philippines through “real breadwinners.”