At 23, Jomari Ferrer dreams of a future in public service. He travels the streets of Pangasinan on two wheels, not with his feet but on his trusty wheelchair. Last Saturday, Sept. 20, he traveled a road far more meaningful – the stage of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Gymnasium, where received his diploma in Bachelor of Public Administration.

To many, Jomari could be mistaken for an ordinary Gen Z student – bright, digitally adept, and hardworking. But one look at him reveals the extraordinary truth – Jomari has lived all his life with cerebral palsy.

With his neck bent to the left, his hand crooked, and a posture reminiscent of the late physicist Stephen Hawking, Jomari was lifted by loved ones onto the stage. The applause that greeted him was not merely for academic completion, but for a lifelong triumph against the odds.

“Dream ko po talaga na maging public servant (It's my dream to be a public servant),” Jomari says, his voice calm but resolute. “At gusto ko rin po magtuloy pa mag-aral after this. Gusto ko po mag-doctoral (I would like to continue my studies and take a doctoral degree).”

Born the eldest of two children to parents who both serve in the Department of Education – his father Lamberto, a high school principal, and his mother, Marigie, a school nurse – Jomari has never known what it means to walk. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant, he faced physical limitations early on. But his parents refused to let those limitations define him.

Instead, they raised him as “normal,” sending him to regular schools and nurturing his intellectual gifts. At Bayambang National High School in Pangasinan, Jomari graduated from the Special Science Class in Junior High and then took up the HUMSS strand in Senior High – proof of his aptitude and perseverance.

“Never nagpatulong sa amin yan sa paggawa ng schoolwork,” recalls his father. “He is very determined in whatever he puts his mind into. He taught himself how to become a computer programmer and a video editor. Whenever he types, his keyboard taps sound like a machine gun bursting.”

Jomari found freedom in technology. Computers became extensions of his mind and imagination. Through programming and video editing, he proved that disability could never eclipse creativity and intellect.

He navigated his PUP Open University System online subjects with grit, often working late into the night. Despite the physical strain, he met his academic requirements without shortcuts. Every essay submitted, every project completed, bore the marks of his painstaking determination.

Beyond his personal success, Jomari is motivated by a deeper calling. He wants his journey to inspire others with disabilities who may feel that higher education – or even a career in public service – is out of reach.

“Kung kaya ko, kaya rin nila (If I can do it, anyone can do it),” he says simply.

For Jomari, the diploma he received last weekend was not just a personal milestone, but a message of hope to many. He envisions a society where persons with disabilities are seen not as burdens, but as leaders, innovators, and changemakers.

As Jomari was lifted onto the stage, his family did not just see a son or a brother. They saw a young man who, though unable to walk, has traveled farther than most could imagine.

In the end, Jomari Ferrer is proof that public service begins long before holding office. It begins in resilience, in example, and in the refusal to surrender dreams to circumstance.

And as the PUP community rose to cheer him, Jomari reminded them – and the entire nation – that one need not walk to lead the way.