Security guard gets reward after daughter graduates cum laude

While many security guards were reporting for duty that day, one father was somewhere else, sitting among proud families at a graduation ceremony and watching his daughter walk across the stage as the first-ever degree holder, and cum laude at that, in their family.

This moment, captured in a TikTok video, has since touched social media users. The clip begins with the question, “I wonder why Kuya Guard didn’t come to work today?” before revealing the answer that it was because he had to witness a milestone that embodied years of sacrifice, perseverance and quiet love.

Victoria Jane Navales, a Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education graduate from Bicol University featured in the video, said her father, Christopher Navales, has spent nearly 21 years working as a security guard to support their family and ensure that she and her siblings can stay in school and have their basic needs met.

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“Despite working long hours and facing many hardships, he never complained,” Navales told INQUIRER.net.

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READ: Security guard is still on duty hours before he graduates, cum laude, at Saint Theresa’s College in Cebu

When her mother suffered a stroke in 2022, Navales saw her father juggling work, caring for his wife and running their household.

Navales stated that she often saw her father exhausted, yet he rarely spoke about his struggles.

“As his daughter, it broke my heart to see him sacrifice so much while asking for so little in return. That was the moment I promised myself that I would do everything I could to succeed,” she expressed.

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Navales carried this promise with her throughout college, determined to make her father’s sacrifices worthwhile. But the journey was far from easy. Along the way, she became a working student while also helping her family deal with her mother’s recovery from a sudden stroke. She also had to mourn the loss of her grandparents, who constituted one of her greatest support systems.

Whenever the weight of her challenges and responsibilities became overwhelming, Navales would think of her father to gain strength. She would watch him quietly persevere despite his own challenges, reminded her to keep moving forward.

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“Earning Latin honors became more than just an academic goal; it became my way of honoring his sacrifices and showing him that all his hard work was not in vain,” she stated.

According to Navales, her father’s presence at the graduation carried a deeper meaning. For years, he had devoted himself to working long hours to provide for his family, often prioritizing responsibilities over personal moments. This time, however, he chose to be there with her as she received her diploma — a decision she said made the celebration even more unforgettable.

READ: Jeepney driver’s daughter is Ateneo 2019 class valedictorian, inspires with essay

As she walked across the stage, she said she was thinking less about her achievement but more about the man who helped make it possible.

“My father is not very expressive when it comes to his emotions, but when I saw the pride and happiness on his face, I felt that every sacrifice, struggle, and sleepless night was worth it,” she stated.

Navales said she hopes their story reminds people to appreciate the quiet sacrifices parents make for their children. For her, earning the cum laude title may bear her name, but the journey belongs to her father as well.

“Papa, this achievement is not mine alone, it is ours. Your dream became my dream.” Navales addressed her father. — Mathew Songcuya, INQUIRER.net trainee

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