MANILA, Philippines-The daughter of an empanada vendor and a welder has become a social media sensation after placing 10th at the recently held nursing board exams.
Shannara Mica Gura Tamayao, a nursing graduate from Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, has proven that poverty is not a hindrance to fulfil one’s goals. A consistent honor student from elementary to high school, Tamayao persevered to earn a nursing degree at the Mariano Marcos State University at Batac, Ilocos Norte.
PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Trending News Portal
Tamayao’s hard work and her parents’ sacrifices definitely paid off when the nursing graduate managed to pass the exam and become one of the topnotchers after garnering a score of 84.60%.
As the eldest in the family, Tamayao wishes to get her family out of poverty. She intends to pass the National Council Licensure exam and take a Master’s Degree before applying for a job.
Her success story, that has gone viral in a number of Facebook pages, is inspiring thousands of netizens.
Watch the video report below.
What is empanada?
Popular in countries like Spain, Philippines and other nations in Latin America, empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry that is either baked or fried. Its name comes from the Spanish word empanar, which means to wrap or coat in a bread.
In the Philippines, empanadas usually contain ground chicken, pork or beef, potatoes, raisins and chopped onions enclosed in a sweet, wheat flour bread. Empanadas are cooked in two different ways- the flaky fried type and the baked type. However, empanadas from the northern part of the Ilocos region are prepared in a different manner. Unlike the soft, sweet dough flavored in the Tagalog region, the Ilocos empanada has a thin and crisp dough that uses rice flour in orange color and is deep-fried.