A determined 25-year-old man named Eugene Dela Cruz, has inspired many after overcoming years of homelessness to earn a university degree with honors.
Eugene graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics from Ateneo de Manila University, one of the top universities in the Philippines.
Eugene's Story and How He Did It
Eugene’s life took a devastating turn at the young age of 12. After his parents divorced, neither of them took custody of him, leaving him alone to survive on the streets.
For years, he lived without a stable home. He survived by begging for food, bathing in public restrooms, and sleeping in alleys or under parked tricycles when it rained.
Reflecting on that painful period, Eugene said he would usually seekrest in public restrooms to console himeself. “Public restrooms became my sanctuary, where I washed my body, my clothes, and tried, vainly, to scrub away the shame,” he said.
Eugene spent four difficult years living on the streets before someone helped him return to school.
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Determined to change his life, he focused on his education and excelled academically, eventually finishing vocational high school in 2021.
With hope for a better future, Eugene applied to Ateneo de Manila University and was accepted with financial assistance from the university’s admissions relief office and alumni association.
Even after gaining admission to university, Eugene’s journey remained challenging. To support himself financially, he tutored other students and worked as a choreographer for university festivals.
Despite the struggles, he stayed focused on his studies. “Ateneo saw beyond my tattered story and took a chance on someone like me. They didn’t see empty forms, just a child desperate for a second chance,” he said.
In June 2025, Eugene’s years of perseverance finally paid off when he graduated with honors from Ateneo.
He also earned third place for the Most Outstanding Thesis Award, recognizing the quality of his academic work. Reflecting on his achievement, he shared: “I wasn’t meant to make it here, but by some grace, I did.”
Throughout university, Eugene balanced academics, tutoring, choreography work, and survival, often carrying emotional scars from his years of hardship.
But he also found a strong support system at the school, including the Office of Admission and Aid, the Ateneo Alumni Scholars Association, friends, mentors, and fellow students who supported him when he had very little.
At the conclusion of his thesis, Eugene left a powerful message for others facing difficult circumstances.
“You possess a strength no hardship can steal. That strength carried me past broken dreams, past every ‘no,’ past every night I thought I couldn’t survive, straight to this very moment,” he said.
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