STI Graduate Now Soaring High with Cebu Pacific

By: Miguel La Torre , April 20, 2023

When STI College Malolos alumna Hannielyn Angulo first walked inside the blue and yellow walls of the school six years ago, she did not expect that she would be given the runway to spread her wings and fly anytime soon.

In September 2022, the BS Tourism Management (BSTM) graduate was able to brave through the herculean cabin crew training program of Cebu Pacific to become a full-fledged flight attendant (FA) for one of the country’s leading low-cost airlines.

“It’s a dream come true,” Angulo said in a phone interview. “All the tears and hard work have paid off; I’m finally living my dream.”

It wasn’t an easy and smooth road for her though, especially in the beginning. Her first steps towards achieving her dreams, after all, were to endure a rigorous two-month training course set by the airline; an obstacle she never had any idea about prior to joining.

“Actually, at first, I thought it was easy becoming an FA, I thought it was all about being pretty,” said Angulo who has a handful of beauty pageant titles to her name. “I was wrong. You really need to have the brains and the right attitude too.”

Aside from the herculean physical training regime she and fellow cabin crew aspirants must follow each day, they must maintain two lifelines all throughout the training period. A failing mark in one exam would eliminate one lifeline, and losing both would mean dismissal from the camp.

But a go-getter at heart, defying the odds placed in front of her was just a side obstacle for Hannielyn to overcome. Fueled by her utmost desire to reach her dreams, her focus ultimately remained on earning her wings.

“There were times when I would find myself crying over the complex lessons I needed to study,” said Angulo who had to memorize the parts and safety procedures of the current engine option (CEO) and new engine option (NEO) variants of the airline’s Airbus A320s and A321s.

“Dreaming alone is not enough, you really have to grasp and want it,” she exclaimed.

After finally reaching her dream, the 23-year-old didn’t forget where she came from. In fact, she credits the success she has gathered now to the nurturing care she has received from the institution that first handed her big break.

“STI really played a massive part in why I am here today,” said Angulo who graduated as a cum laude of her batch in August 2022. “The school taught me so much from persevering to disciplining myself, and to staying hungry and determined for success.”

According to her, values such as her beaming confidence, stern discipline, and utmost perseverance; which in her belief were the primary factors why she was acquired by Cebu Pacific, were rooted and developed from her treasured years with STI that began in senior high school.

“My teachers and peers were so supportive of me. They’re not the typical teachers that teach in classrooms, they also give out valuable life lessons that you can apply in the real world,” she exclaimed. “That’s how I garnered the strength to dream and achieve big,” followed Angulo.

Now that she’s harvesting the seeds she had planted years prior, paying the blessings forward is what Angulo is now aiming to do to the younger generations.

“There will be days where you’ll doubt yourself, but those hard days are what actually makes the success even sweeter,” she said. “Keep on going, keep striving. Having self-doubt is okay, what’s not okay is giving up. Work hard, pray hard, and you’ll eventually get there,” she added.