By Gia Mendoza
Moms or mother figures are more often than not, the superheroes of the families. Truly, not all superheroes wear capes and we have our very own mothers and mother figures in our lives to make this statement true. They juggle different hats in a day to manage their career, personal life, and family life. But where do these super A-moms get their super powers?
For Crisia “Ysha” Llante, Learning and Development Associate from AEV, becoming a mom at an early age was a surprise as well as a blessing. Her daughter Audrey, who is now eleven years old, has been her biggest source of strength to be better in all aspects of her life.
Q: What was the journey towards being a mom like?
A: I met the father of my daughter while I was working in a fast food chain and I got pregnant at a young age. It was a shock to me, my parents, my guardian and my friends that I ended up pregnant. I was a working student back then and had very limited free time. I never partied. I came from a broken family and grew up with my aunt. The days after I found out I was pregnant are pretty foggy. I was facing the reality of becoming pregnant at an early age. Thinking about the shame that society puts on me for having a child before a career makes me feel like I will not amount to anything.
Q: What were your thoughts when you found out you were going to be a mom?
A: It was hard for me, I was in denial that I was actually pregnant. What kind of mother would I be? How would I support this baby? I was about to bring this precious baby into this world by me, a barely legal teen. On top of that, I felt a lot of guilt over the stress my pregnancy was putting on my guardian who had shared me their home, just for me to screw it all up. On a positive note, I wanted to be a good mom and decided to teach myself everything I could about pregnancy and child rearing. I read lots of books, took my prenatal vitamins, and went to all my checkups. I tried to eat well, although I also used being pregnant as an excuse to treat myself to lots of fast food. After all, I was eating for two! I cried the whole day when I was about to give birth to my daughter. Being scared was understatement. From her eyebrows to her toenails, a human being formed inside me. It was amazing!
Despite the early surprise of Ysha, she found the strength from her daughter and from the support of her family to continue to pull through. She faced the challenges of a young single mom, yet continued to persevere without letting other people’s opinion of her get in the way. She continued with her studies and pursued working as a promise to create a good future for her daughter.
Q: As a mom, where do you get your strength from?
A: Definitely, from my dear daughter Audrey. Thinking about giving her the best of the best everyday and for her future makes me inspired and motivated to perform and deliver what is expected from me. To become the best mom for her, to give her all that the things she needs, to give all the love, attention and protection I can give and to make sure I’m her go-to person even when she gets old. She’s literally my life!
Q: What do you think makes you a Super A-Mom?
A: When asked if I would change the fact that I am a teen mom my response is, “No, my daughter makes me want to be a better person and I wouldn’t change the fact that she is here for anything.” I can say that I am a Super A-mom because I was able to rise from a “fall”. Each one of us experiences a few “stumbles” in our life, and don’t know how to start over. Sometimes we work hard for the things we truly believe in, only for life to not go according to our plans. These feelings of pain and doubt are normal, but they shouldn’t stop you. In fact, when you realize you’ve hit rock bottom, there’s no way to go but up. The process may be a difficult one and may even take away all your energy, but with a strategy and will, it can surely be done.
Moving forward, Ysha grew up to be a smart and gentle, but tough, young mom. Ysha has been with Aboitiz as an intern until being absorbed into the company. She celebrated two years with AEV early this year and looks forward to more years with the company.
Q: What would your message be to yourself 10 years ago?
A: The day I had my daughter, I vowed to make up for it and not be an embarrassment to my child and myself. I decided to go back to school for one reason — to make a better life for Audrey. I learned how to balance my time as a mother and in school. Many people believe a theory that once a woman has a child young, she will no longer be able to get her degree. People often feel that a child is a major setback if the parents aren’t established. This isn’t the case for all women. Having a child at a young age can be taxing sometimes, but it made me strive harder to do better in life. Having a baby didn’t stop me from living my dreams. I went to find a part time job to help me support my studies. I studied hard and was able to get an academic scholarship. Then, eventually, I was able to finish my degree at the age of 27 and immediately found an opportunity to work with a reputable company.
Q: Do you have any messages to your teammates or people who help you with your everyday work? Or any message to other moms out there who also might struggle to achieve work-life balance?
A: I’m grateful for my team and my team leader. They understand that I am also a mother and have a responsibility to attend to. If there’s a need to prioritize family matters, they’re allowing me to do so. My advice to other A-moms out there would be learn to recognize your lows, ask for help, and get to work surviving and thriving. Indeed, motherhood and sacrifices go hand in hand.
We look up to all our Super A-moms in our lives and we appreciate all the sacrifice and hard work they have done for all of us.
To all our A-moms, you continue to inspire us everyday. Thank you!
