FIRST time she entered a classroom, her much younger classmates were a bit intimidated.
“They called me Ma’am,” actress Carmi Martin,47, recalled, laughing. “I told them that they could call me Miss Carmi instead.”
Slowly, she immersed herself in her classmates’ world. “I’d join them every break time and we’d chat. I encouraged them to study well, but we also talked about show biz chismis. Para hindi boring.”
Last year, Martin went back to school— to finish Fine Arts at the Philippine Women’s University (PWU).
She took a two-year certificate course at the Philippine School of Interior Design in 2003, but postponed taking the board exam for interior designers.
Although she just graduated last April 2, she is planning to enroll in summer classes this week—this time to obtain her second degree, BS in Interior Design, also at PWU.
She related that her decision to go back to school came at a time when she was at a crossroads.
“I wasn’t that busy with show biz then,” she recounted. “Funny thing was, after I enrolled at PWU, I got swamped with work—two soap operas (GMA 7’s “Beauty Queen” and “My Lover, My Wife”) and a Star Cinema movie (“Huling Sayaw,” top-billed by Aga Muhlach and Angel Locsin).
In spite of her busy schedule, she didn’t quit school. “I made a commitment with myself,” she proudly said.
No regrets
Without regrets, first to be sacrificed was the party scene. “I’ve already had my fill of the nightlife,” she said. “Naka-quota na ako, kumbaga.”
Helping her manage her time were her teachers, who were just as supportive as her classmates, she noted.
“Whenever I can’t make it to class because of tapings or location shoots, I make sure to submit my assignments right away,” she pointed out. “My teachers appreciate that I deliver projects on time.”
She regarded the whole experience as an eye-opener that has now become a new mission: “God must’ve wanted me to inspire people. I want to tell housewives and other interior decorators . . . that they should not be afraid to go back to school. It’s never too late to aim higher. Age, work, family . . . nothing is an obstacle if you want to attain an important goal.”
She admitted that she’s a far more serious student now than when she was younger.
“I never thought I’d enjoy studying,” she quipped. “Now, I don’t study just for the sake of studying. I’m really interested. In class, I ask questions. I give my input, too.”
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