Aiko Melendez. Image: Facebook/Aiko Melendez
Aiko Melendez proved that age is just a number as she finished her bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) at age 47.
The actress-turned-politician announced her recent milestone on her Facebook page last Saturday, July 29, while sharing glimpses of her graduation.
“It may have taken me years to finally finish my degree but despite a lot of hurdles and heavy workloads from being an artist and a public servant, I made sure to still make it.
The best gift I can ever [give] my mother and my children, My Diploma,” she said.
Melendez then confessed that while she achieved many milestones in her life, “nothing comes close” to her college diploma.
“I may have achieved a lot already in life but nothing comes close to this. Thank you Lord! How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. This is the beginning of everything I want,” she said.
“If you can dream it, you can make it so. So to all the dreamers like me, never stop! No matter what I’ve done, I have learned from my mistakes. Good times and bad times to come, I will still accept them,” she further added.
The “Wildflower” star also congratulated her fellow graduates while thanking her professors and “everyone else who made this possible.”
“After all these years of waiting, finally, Graduate na po ako (I graduated). Cheers! Philippine Women’s University Class 2023,” she said. “Thank you to all my Profs [green heart emoji] And to everyone else who made this possible! Now M.A. next [smiling emoji] Congratulations too to all my classmates.”
Melendez also shared her official graduation photos in a separate post, where she spoke about managing her time as an actress, politician, and college student.
“Mukhang madali ang lahat pero sa totoo lang naiisip ko ngayon paano ko napag sabay sabay lahat? Paano nga ba,” she said. “Kasi natuto akong pahalagahan ang mga bagay na dapat nuon ko pa nabigyan ng pansin pero bakit nga ba ngayon lang? Kasi inuna ko muna tuparin ang mga Pangarap ko para sa pamilya ko.”
(Everything looks easy to outsiders but the truth is, I can’t help but wonder how I was able to manage being an actress, politician, and student. How? Because I learned to make the most out of everything that’s given to me, but why just now? Because I wanted to make sure that I fulfilled my dreams for my family?)
The actress-politician expressed her gratitude to her loved ones and PWU once again, as she hoped that her recent milestone made them proud.
“This is Aiko Melendez officially! Graduate na po ako. Ayan sa mga bashers ko ahhh hindi nyo nalang masasabi na artista lang ako kahit pa napaka rangal na trabaho ito dahil ngayon ito ang patunay na ang Edukasyon walang pinipiling edad basta matuto ka lang alamin ang gusto mo,” she added.
(This is Aiko Melendez officially. I’m a graduate. To all my bashers, you can’t accuse me of being merely just a celebrity even if it’s an honorable job. This is proof that education knows no age as long as you learn from your experiences.)
Melendez’s recent milestone comes weeks after her 16-year-old daughter Marthena finished a law course at a summer school in Oxford, England.
Marthena is the actress-politician’s daughter with former former model-actor Martin Jickain, while she also has a son with actor Jomari Yllana. She is currently in a relationship with Zambales vice governor Jay Khonghun. EDV