It was a dream come true for a 65-year-old grandmother working as a photographer for the Pasay City local government to march at the commencement rites of the City University of Pasay after completing her college degree on Monday, July 10. Shirley Barberan, who finished a Bachelor of Science degree in Office Administration, was among the 1,290 students who marched during the commencement rites of CUP held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). Mommy Shirley, as she is called by her classmates, said it was a happy moment for her to march at the graduation rites. It was a bittersweet time for Mommy Shirley because as she marched with pride, she was filled with worry for her child with special needs who was in the hospital. One of her children, however, surprised her and attended her graduation after taking the day off. Mommy Shirley narrated that she first took up civil engineering at Liceo De Cagayan University but when she got married to her husband who was a member of Philippine Air Force, she had to stop and concentrate on taking care of her family. But since photography was her passion since she was still a child, she went to Bahrain to work and became the official photographer of a royal family for seven years. She went back to the country to care for her child with disabilities. Mommy Shirley first became the official photographer of Pasay Councilor Pinky Lyn Francisco before she was assigned to Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, who was then the city’s lone district representative and then city mayor and now Congressman Antonino Calixto. She said the Calixto siblings pushed her to finish her studies. Mommy Shirley said she started studying at CUP when she was already 60 years old but stopped because she was also a victim of Covid-19 in 2020. Her husband, who also suffered from Covid-19, succumbed to cardiac arrest. Left alone to earn for her family, Mommy Shirley said she worked hard and pursued her education at the same time. Rubiano praised Mommy Shirley for being a true testament that age is not a barrier to education. The mayor, an advocate of the city-wide free education program, continues to promote the right to education, especially among deserving Pasayeños. "In Pasay City, the important requirement of schooling is the eagerness of someone to continue and finish their education," Rubiano said. "Age is not a barrier when it comes to doing something different and great," she added.