Jodi Sta. Maria may be an accomplished actress, but there’s something that remains unfulfilled for her.

“I want to be a medical doctor,” she declared during a solo media conference to kick off the promotion of her latest soap opera from Dreamscape Entertainment, Lavender Fields.

“When I was younger, ang gusto ko talaga (what I really liked was) oncology because my mom had cancer,” she explained.

But as time went by, Sta. Maria realized one thing.

“There was a time naman na ang dami nating doctors sa Manila. Kulang tayo ng doctor sa mga barrios. Parang maganda na ma-reach ‘yung mga patients na ‘di nare-reach ng medical assistance (There was a time when we had many doctors in Manila. We lack doctors in the barrios. It would be great to reach patients who are not covered by medical assistance),” she said. 

Sta. Maria completed her Psychology degree at Southville International School and Colleges and was a Dean’s Lister.

“I graduated in 2021,” she said. “After graduation, hindi naman nawala sa isip ko (I didn’t stop thinking) to continue to study. I’m want to do my master’s degree. Naghahanap lang tayo ng time for that (I’m just looking for the right time for that).”

Importance of respite

Sta. Maria observes one rule after working: Taking a breather after every project. This comes in the form of short vacations, mostly with her son Thirdy.

“Every time matatapos ang proyekto, you’d find me somewhere. ‘Yun ‘yung pang recharge ko para every time na babalik ako I come back recharged (Every time a project is finished, you’d find me somewhere. That’s my way of recharging, so that when I come back, I’m fully recharged),” she said.

She does this because she realized that her “emotional battery and social battery” get depleted. If she’s not out of the country for a short vacation, the actress is busy reading her books in her mini library at home.

“Hindi ako palalabas ng bahay. Kapag wala akong trabaho, nasa bahay lang talaga ako. Walang ibang magandang gawin sa bahay kundi magbasa ng libro (I don’t go out much. When I’m not working, I really just stay at home. There’s nothing better to do at home than read books). So, I have a small library. I want something inspirational today,” she related.

Realization of a single mom

As a mom of a teenager, Thirdy, Sta. Maria has realized many things.

“Noong maliit pa siya, parang ako talaga ang mundo niya (When he was little, it felt like I was his whole world). Now that he’s in college, parang he is an individual talaga. There are times he’s asserting autonomy. Gano’n kami (That’s how we are),” she said.

Parenting, for Sta. Maria, really does not have a manual.

“When I look back, ay ganoon pala ang parenting. It doesn’t come out with a manual because parang iba’t ibang decisions talaga ang papasukin mo. Iba rin ‘yan kapag nagtatrabaho na siya (It’s like you’ll face different decisions. It will also be different once he starts working). So, how do you prepare for the future?” she asked. 

For her, the best way to handle her son is to let him go.

“Basta ang akin lang (As for me), parang I do a lot of letting go. Hindi ko siya masyadong sinasakal (I don’t hold him too tightly). I let go of the things that I worried about,” she said.

Pressure and dream role

Doing Lavender Fields after two years of not starring in a new teleserye comes with its own pressures.

“I’ll be hypocrite if I tell you na walang pressure. Of course, there is. Magwo-work ba (Will it work)?” she said.

But the actress believes that a project is a product of collective effort.

“I am not doing it alone. I’m doing it with a team,” she said.

As for her dream role, Sta. Maria welcomes an edgy, out-of-the-box character.

“Mahilig akong magbasa ng libro. Meron akong nabasa about serial killer. Parang magandang magkaroon ng psychopath na role. Gagawan mo lang siya ng backstory. Bakit siya naging gano’n (I enjoy reading books. I read one about a serial killer. It would be interesting to have a role as a psychopath. You just need to create a backstory for them. Why did they become that way)? Is he just a product of an environment,” she said. 

Lavender Fields, which will air next month, also stars Janine Gutierrez, Jericho Rosales, Jolina Magdangal, Lotlot de Leon and Maricel Soriano.