Ruffa Gutierrez Set To Fulfill Dream Of Getting College Degree: 'I'm Graduating In July'

For some, having kids means you forget about your own aspirations and begin to dedicate your all to raising another human being. But the road to success is not a straight one. Moreover, there's no cap on age or a particular timeline when we can start pursuing our goals.

This is what celebrity mom Ruffa Gutierrez proved as she's set to receive her college degree this 2022.

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The mom of two shared this important milestone on It's Showtime's episode last March 3, 2022, where she is a resident judge of the noontime show's segment "Sexy Babe." She was explaining why she was absent a day prior.

"Naku, nag-aaral ako. I had academic deadlines!...Practicum ko na. Tomorrow ang last day ko." Ruffa then excitedly announced, "I'm graduating college in July!"

"At least hindi na lang ako high school graduate. Pero, excuse me, 13 years old naman nagtatrabaho na ako, ‘di ba. [It’s] never too late!" she added.

Ruffa will be 48 by the time she graduates.

Pursuing college dreams in her 40s

It was last May of 2021 that Ruffa revealed she had decided to go back to school. "You're never too old to chase your dreams," she says in her Instagram post.

In the same post, the single mom said she took up a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Communication Arts at the Philippine Women's University. In her case, she continued her studies under the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). (Know more here)

She also opened up what really inspired her to go after her college dreams—her two daughters, Lorin and Venice. "After 34 years of working in the entertainment industry, I have chosen to further my education.

"Not only do I want to fulfill a long-held dream and take control of the next chapter of my life, I want to set a good example for my children," the beauty-queen actress shared.

Ruffa first entered the limelight as a teen actress. She then entered the world of pageantry and finished second runner-up in Miss World 1993.

Last June 2021, Ruffa expressed how proud she is of her firstborn duaghter Lorin for graduating highschool. Aside from celebrating her child's accomplishment, she also paid tribute to all single mothers like her.

"Today I want to salute all the hard-working single mothers who have raised their children with courage and strength on their own."

"The road is never easy but we persevere. Keep the faith that God will reward our struggles with blessings we can't even begin to imagine. Congratulations again to my graduate Lorini Pie!," Ruffa wrote in her greeting post for Lorin.

Other celebrity single moms who successfully achieved their goals of becoming college graduates while balancing their career and motherhood are Jodi Sta. Maria and Sunshine Cruz. Both now have a degree in psychology.

Ruffa Gutierrez speaks up about domestic violence and encourages other women to do the same. Read here.

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