A single-mom’s hard work, working three jobs has paid off with daughter Gladys graduating ‘Magna Cum Laude’. (The Philippine Reporter)

Ottawa, Ontario

Gladys Ayson was raised by single mom

By Ted Alcuitas

A caregiver’s daughter has made her mom proud by graduating ‘Magna Cum Laude’ from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts degree (Honours Program) in Psychology.

The graduate with her proud mom at graduation ceremonies in June. (The Philippine Reporter)

Gladys Ayson said she had to fight for the distinction since she was short .05 point of the required 8.0 grade point average to graduate magna cum laude.

According to The Philippine Reporter, Ayson was allowed to do an “oral presentation” before a wider academic audience instead of defending her thesis again.

Her honours thesis is about the impact of marijuana on the brain function of regular users.

The Canadian-born Ayson was raised  by a single mother and is a consistent straight-A student since her elementary years.

Her mother Edith came to Canada as a  live-in caregiver in 1990 under the old Foreign Domestic Moverment  Program.

The young Gladys was raised and spent most of her growing years in the home of her mom’s employers, according to The Reporter.

“My mom is the most amazing woman ever! I saw her care for other people’s children (she worked for three other employers too). And in each of those households, the kids also considered her as their second mom. With all her work, she never complained, she persevered and even did her ‘mom job’ raising me to what I’ve become now.”

It takes a village to raise a child and Gladys was raised with the help of her aunt, Linda and the support of some “10 or more women who were my moms too,” according to Gladys.

“Edith and Linda worked two, three other jobs and pooled resources so that Gladys would be able to finish university and carve out a better future for herself,” former family friends Rovie Pagunsan and Jinny Marquita told The Reporter.

Gladys plans to pursue a doctorate in Experimental Psychology, specializing in Development Psychology with a focus in children.

She did volunteer work at the Hospital for Sick Children and is a member of the Childhood Cognition and Learning Lab of the university, conducting studies with children aged 3-5 years,.