Jem Carmelle Perona, who turned 18 this month, is a typical Filipino teenager. As a senior high school student in the Arts and Design track, she is thankful to have gone back to face-to-face classes after two years of struggling with online learning. She is active in her school’s dance company. She looks forward to university life and is now in the thick of applying to her colleges of choice.
Her parents Marie and John – whom Jem calls Ina and Ama — were only too happy to support their daughter’s idea. “I did not expect that kind of volume,” she said, especially since she only relied on social media and word-of-mouth. “They must really like what I had to offer.” “I was always nervous in trying out these businesses because I felt I was too young and did not have any sufficient background,” Jem says. Sometimes, she also feels ill at ease giving instructions to staff members who are older than she is. Fortunately, her mother’s expertise in human resources helps. Marie also sometimes calls her “CEO” – part affection, part aspiration, and a testament to her confidence in her daughter’s talent, hard work, and dedication.