A 19-year-old who became a millionaire through his self-made business has sparked a discourse among young social media user over getting a diploma versus being “madiskarte” or being resourceful or strategic in life.
Josh Mojica, known for his “Kangkong Chips Original” business, was interviewed on Franklin Miano’s podcast last September. His statements on the podcast continue to go viral to this day. The young entrepreneur was asked the question “Diskarte o diploma?,” to which he answered by sharing his not-so-good experience with the education system.
“Wala akong bilib sa sistema ng pag-aaral dito sa Pilipinas kasi karamihan ng na-experience ko sa journey on how to have a successful life, wala ako halos nagamit masyado na galing sa eskwela. Ang nagamit ko self-earned knowledge [I am not impressed with the system of education here in the Philippines because most of what I experienced in my journey on how to have a successful life, I’ve hardly used much of the learnings in school. What I was able to utilize was my self-earned knowledge],” he answered.
This interview ignited a debate on social media, as Filipino internet users shared their take on the subject.
Some completely agreed with Mojica’s answer in the interview, with some questioning the necessity of a diploma for a successful life:
Meanwhile, others disagreed, emphasizing the need to pursue education in order to achieve more in life:
Some social media users wanted to emphasize the need for both, expressing that relying on just one would not be enough for a successful life.
Although people who heard this question have made valid interpretations based on their own life experiences, the same applies to Josh Mojica, who decided to elaborate on his answer through a TikTok video posted on his account
In the video, Mojica clarified that he does not advise others to drop out or follow his method of only completing Senior High School to focus on being an entrepreneur; he simply shared that this method worked for him.
“Self-earned knowledge from different people, from different stories, from different books, and from different life experiences works for me, and I share my story because it might also work for you,” he said.
Well, at the end of the day, there’s no linear way to achieve success.
It was back in June 2021 when Mojica started making Kangkong chips by himself and selling them to his friends. In the initial six months of the business venture, Mojica was reported to be earning P150,000 every month.
The recipe for this now 100-plus-manned company was inspired by Mojica’s aunt cooking the tasty and healthy treat. Since then, Mojica continues to raise his business to help with his family’s financial needs, and for his self-fulfillment as a proud entrepreneur. With over 200k followers on TikTok, Mojica continues to share that his life story will always be an open book for people to learn about business, be inspired, and know what is possible. /VT
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