22/06/2026
I did it! Or shall I say we did it! ☺
Yes, you see it right, im wearing TOGA mga mii, Im graduating for my masters degree! 🎓
It’s easy to claim it was all mine, but in reality, I can achieve nothing without God’s providence. 😇
Mao ni ang rason mga mii ngano nawala ko kalit? Ngano wala nako namaligya. The real reason why I stop for a while was not because I just want to stop mga mii. I had to, because I have to make a choice 2 years ago to focus on my career.
Little do you know, little snugglers has been my home since I gave birth to my third child Silvia, our little preemie, nagka little snugglers tungod sa iya. That time, I felt so down, helpless, I don’t know if postpartum ba ang tawag ato but I am looking for my worth, as a mother who can just be there for my children, a wife who can compensate with my husband in terms of finances, as an employee who can be appreciated, and a woman of value who can inspire and uplift other women especially mothers, because whether we like it or not, a part of us is lost when we became mothers. We are not our old self anymore. Agree mo ana? 🥹
I asked God that time, unsa kaha akong pwede pagkakitaan Lord? Then time came whenever I received something for my baby or buy something for her, it gives me happiness, and that’s when I thought of buying and selling clothes for my little ones, naka harvat nako makabaligya pako. So for me, little snugglers was an answered prayer. I wanna share that happiness a mother can feel that is why I became visible not only on posting baby clothes but on live selling. Wala pa ga sell ug baby clothes sa CDO ato nga time. ☺️
After 2 years I realized I created a community of mothers whom I called Mima. Some of you became very close to my heart that feels like a family. That is why I always say little snuggler is more than a business but a created community for mothers which later I wanted to expand further as an advocacy, to give back to those unfortunate and make mother feel special and happy, one happy mother at a time. I think more than the saying a happy wife is a happy life, i say a happy mother can grow healthy babies, because she doesn’t have to transfer all her pain and traumas to her child. A happy mother and couple is the reason for a happy and healthy home.
The rest is history. ☺️
As I said, this achievement was not all mine. Dili ni mahitabo ug dili ko makalahutay if wala ang panalangin sa Ginoo. Sya ug sya ang hinungdan ngano nakaabot ko ani. Ug of course sa akong pamilya, akong supportive nga husband nga maoy magtan-aw sa among anak kung busy kaayo ko. Sa akong mama nga magbantay sa akong youngest, sa akong in law nga magtan-aw sa akong mga anak. Sa akong papa nga one call away kung magipit ko. 😅
Sa akong mga anak nga ginasabtan ko, sige ra pangutana kanus-a ka dili busy mommy? 🥹Ug padayon magsabot sa akoa sige atubang sa laptop, sila ang kanunay gahatag sa akoa ug kusog. Sa mga tao nga padayong misalig ug mituo sa akoa bisan pa feeling nako mu surrender nako, dili na nako kaya.
Part of my dedication sa akong thesis, akong gi ingon nga “I impart my success to all Mimas who may have felt stagnant or undervalued at certain points in their lives. May this serve as a reminder that motherhood is not the end of one’s aspirations or career, but the beginning of a braver and more purposeful version of oneself. It is possible to nurture a family while continuing to pursue goals and dreams. May my achievement inspire them to believe that they, too, can rise, grow, and achieve beyond limits”.
Juggling motherhood, study, career and business at some part have thought me greatest lessons. Nga its okay to pause and dedicate your time to your children. That women are capable to put food on the table, that you might not get right away what you want but God has his ways to place you on something great that is beyond you can imagine. 🙏
Murag taas na mii nu? Hehe… posting this is not bragging but I want to inspire mothers that we can achieve what we want. We might have different plans and timelines but motherhood is not the end of everything, its actually a fuel that keeps you going, because looking at your children, you have all the reasons to live and make life worth living. ♥
Wala ko namiya sa inyu mii. ☺ Naa rako all this time, i laugh, i cry when i review photos of my selling. It hurts sometimes going in the page and looking at the followers decreasing, but I am still thankful for those who stayed, for those who are just waiting, for those who are rooting for this humble business. Sa tinuod lang gimingaw na gyud kog baligya. I know I’ll be starting again, not from scratch but from experience and a story to tell.
See you soon mga mii. I miss you and I love you all.
Sharing this achievement with you all... It's too precious not to share. 🫶
STEPHANIE JEAN SALVADOR DACOSTA
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT
USTP CLASS OF 2026
