Faith more powerful than challenges

“Proverbs three, five to six,” replied a 26-year-old Cebuano when asked what wise words kept up his determination to succeed despite the hurdles he had to face in his arduous journey from being a porter in a wet market, a “kargador,” to acing the mechanical engineer licensure exams.

The Bible says in the cited verse: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

Mark Allen Armenion is the epitome of perseverance. Though it may be a cliché, hard work pays off. A testament to this is Armenion, who hails from Warwick Barracks in Carbon, Cebu City.

In 2022, Armenion hit the headlines after he clinched the second spot in the professional qualification test, achieving a score of 95.6.

Almost two years after his feat, DAILY TRIBUNE heard his story, which deserves to be told as it is a source of boundless inspiration to those starting their careers at the bottom.

A daily struggle

Armenion came from a family that struggled daily to make ends meet. The youngest of four siblings, Mark’s mom sold charcoal, while his father was a butcher and a cook.

Despite his family’s scant means, he had one clear goal — to finish his studies. But what he went through was no walk in the park.

The biggest hurdle Armenion faced was a lack of finances—especially since his parents were deep in debt, which often led to their quarreling.

“My parents’ income was meager, and they were always fighting,” Mark recalled.

“It was also the biggest hurdle when I was in school. I was then contemplating quitting because my parents could not be relied on for financial support, and they weren’t getting along.”

Because of these challenges, he dropped out twice — in the third grade and third-year high school.

“I maintained good grades, but it was hard when I had to think of my family and where to get the money for school,” he said.

Near to achieving his aspiration for a college education, Mark was initially hesitant and weighed schooling against working full time to earn money not for education but for his family’s basic needs.

He, however, summoned up the will to be a working student while maintaining scholarships.

In his second year at the University of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue, Mark became a working scholar, rendering four to six hours of duty at the university. He tried juggling his studies and work, but the pressure affected his health.

“Sometimes I studied without sleep; I took exams the day after I skipped sleeping. I was sacrificing my health,” he said.

When it rains, it pours

Armenion then faced the biggest challenge of his young life. Their house in Mandaue was demolished, forcing him to transfer to the UC main campus. “I had to think hard for ways to finance my studies.”

To earn money, he went to the famed Carbon market to take on odd jobs, including carrying heavy loads like containers of seawater, market products, and even trash.

He earned between P10 and P20 daily, which he augmented by doing projects and assignments for other students.

After topping the exam, Armenion said he was thankful that the obstacles didn’t stop him. Instead, he used them as an inspiration not only to pass the exams but to land on top, not for his glory but for his mom.

“I didn’t give up,” he said.

“It was like I just didn’t want to see my mom in debt, so I promised her: ‘Mom, if I top the board exam, the school will give me something. When we get it, I can give it to you for capital to start selling in the market.’”

Shift in mindset

During his college years, his mindset changed, and he started thinking about making the most of the opportunity to study at a private university.

“I did my best to top [the board exams] and not just graduate. Because I was already there, I should do my best and make the most of it,” he said.

Although he was eligible due to his transferee status, Armenion, despite his high grades, did not graduate cum laude.

For Mama

His mother was Armenion’s inspiration, always to do his best. He shared that there were times when they would both cry because of the weight of their problems.

“It seemed that it also inspired me that I did not want to see my mom in tears. It was like when I was stressed, I just thought of my mom,” he said, adding that his church mentor also helped him by consistently sharing the Gospel with him.

Deprived of Latin honors didn’t let Mark stop striving for excellence.

In 2022, he came in second in the mechanical engineering board exams and inspired other working students.

He showed that a “kargador” could make it by pursuing his ambition, no matter the hindrances.

Today, Mark works as a site engineer in Cebu and is a part-time teacher at a review center, helping young people — like he was once — to realize their dreams.

His story serves as a beacon for others who are poor in means but who can dream big despite the obstacles.