Never ever let failures and rejections set the boundaries for you. When you’ve been knocked down once, get back up, 10x better than you were before. Mila Ferrer is one great embodiment of this belief. She is among the many OVerseas Filipino Workers who experienced the natural struggles of being an alien to a foreign land. Let us all be inspired by how she emerged as a victor in her life’s hardships and challenges.
Mila, grew up in an impoverished family in the Philippines. Together with her three other siblings, she aspired to get out of the country to live a better life. So what she did, young and driven, she worked really hard to achieve her desired diploma. And after graduating, she immediately flew to the United States. Having nothing aside from her American Dream and her heart full of ambitions and aspirations, she went straight to the US, penniless.
It was hard transition. In the Philippines, even if they do not have the money, she can always go their relatives or friends to ask for help, but in the US, she only had herself. But this did not stop her. She applied for jobs; and she was interviewed seventeen times, but she always got rejected. Since she was running out of options, she decided to just apply as a housemaid or a house cleaner. She was immediately hired and from there, she planned ehr steps carefully.
Little by little, she adjusted to the culture of the foreign country. And when the time came, she was hired as a clerk of a financial company. Not wasting any single chance to prove herself to the bosses, she was immediately promoted and transferred to one banking institution and another. Because of her strong dedication to work and passion for what she does, she later on became a loan manager. This has been the beginning of her steadily upward career success.
She recalled the early years of living in America: “I learned how to make my own money. I was cleaning houses, working in the bank, doing real estate, working as personal assistant to doctors, and being a mom,” she said. Furthermore, she emphasized that in the States, nobody can get poor because there are lots of jobs available; one just have to be really patient and hardworking. Aside from that, one has to have someone he or she can trust while in a foreign country. This is what Mila advises to anyone; find a mentor who guide you through your journey.
Today, this once impoverished orphan is now worth millions. She owns 52 land properties in America, including one of the houses she used to clean. From her meager trailer home, she presently lives in a 6,000 square-foot house on a three-acre lot. From a struggling employee, she holds the title of regional vice-president for an international investment company.
When asked about she was able to make it this big, she said “I love what I do; I help people. I can do this wherever I go”.
