ABOUT
Maribeth is a DREAMer. A headstrong individual, she has always strived to be independent, even at a very young age. At the age of five, Maribeth almost got hit by a car because she wanted to learn how to cross the street alone. Due to a significant age gap from her sisters (15 & 16 years old), she has always been given things she didn't ask for, and in exchange for them, she was encouraged to be a straight A student. This is where she developed the mindset that good performance always gets you a reward.
FACING
ADVERISTY
At high school, her family faced an adversity, and their world crumbled when her father got a heat stroke. It impacted the whole family largely as it came to the point where her entire family felt like they could lose him any minute. Maribeth found an admirable level of strength, which she received from her mother, whom faced the problem head on and only allowed herself to cry when she thought no one was watching. This is where she learned that there are times when you have to be strong for others, because that strength will be their source of strength too.
PERSISTENCE | VISION
RESILIENCE
Due to this newfound challenge, Maribeth's family informed her that she had to take a break from her studies after graduating high school, simply because they wouldn't have the means to financially support her for a college education. But that didn't stop her. Her strong-willed, fighting spirit desired to continue to grow, and studying was part of that journey. Maribeth created a resume for herself, and went to the malls to submit applications even though she was just 15 years young.
WORK | LIFE
BALANCE
As if caressed by God's grace, Maribeth got hired at McDonald's, only three days before she turned sixteen. She studied during the day, and worked late afternoons through the evening hours. This taught Maribeth the value of getting hard earned money for her work, and she proved to herself that even though difficult, nothing is impossible! Maribeth studied long hours and even managed to get herself a school scholarship, which helped her lessen the tuition fees and empower her to balance her work and studies, all while being there for her family.
EARNING
OPPORTUNITY
Graduating with honors, Maribeth ventured to the corporate world. After learning and absorbing skills from one company to another, a friend of hers encouraged her to apply to a company where she worked, and recommended Maribeth to work on a project basis. She got in, and knew she would have to prove herself. The company gave her a single project which she received and accepted.
UP THE
LADDER
As the years passed by, Maribeth found herself continuously promoted, climbing the ladder all the way to the top, where she became the head of the department that she had started working in, responsible for establishing processes to more than thirty people under her supervision. Still, Maribeth couldn't shake the feeling that something important was missing from her life. She knew she had hit a ceiling of achievement, and the challenges she was facing, constantly reminded her that "there's got to be something more".
LEAP OF FAITH
A year into the pandemic, Maribeth decided to resign and venture into being a Virtual Assistant. She got into an agency and even though she found herself learning new things, that feeling that something was missing was still there. She started browsing through Upwork and came across a job post, looking for someone to "organize emails, and transcribe videos". Unlike many others, this job poster gave information about the company, known as DREAM International. Maribeth immediately visited their website and got inspired by the CEO's story. She felt a newfound hope that dreams, when acted on, can truly become a reality. So she applied and to her surprise, she got offered to start as a freelance partner and assist the company with some projects that could utilize her skills. This is the day she started working with DREAM, transcribing videos and conducting researches on behalf of the team. All the while, by working from one project to another, Maribeth found herself really loving the company's culture. She couldn't forget a part of a video she transcribed where Mariana the CEO said, "we're not giving out jobs here, we are building careers for those who dream to have one". She always felt that sincerity and genuineness from Mariana that she hadn't felt from the others. Somehow she knew that this woman really believed in what she was doing, and knew how much more we could all be and do together.
DREAM
CALLED
On January 8, 2023, around 3:30am in the Philippines, Maribeth got a meeting request from Fradel, who had been helping her and guiding her from the beginning. She thought it would be a meeting to discuss her questions about a recent task she had been assigned. Upon her arrival, Maribeth was surprised to see Mariana awaiting her with a smile inside the meeting room. What got her to soak up in tears (which she held in until after the meeting was over) was that Mariana attended the meeting with an offer for Maribeth to work full time with DREAM, and the opportunity to start her training to become a Systems Coordinator.
NEXT
LEVEL
Without any hesitation, she accepted the offer and resigned her current job as Virtual Assistant, starting her journey with the DREAM Team full time only two weeks later. On January 23, 2023, Maribeth was officially welcomed as a DREAM Team member. Knowing this was just the beginning of her very own dream coming true, Maribeth is eager to continue to grow, welcoming new challenges within the company each and every day, all while making big leaps and bounds toward fulfilling her very own dream. She is inspired to give her best and collaborate with wonderful people in the DREAM Team for many years to come. She no longer has that feeling that something is missing, and she knows there is so much more for her to explore at DREAM. She can't wait to see how her pioneering spirit and work ethic will take her and the entire company to the next level!