Art by Angela Pabilona

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" That's a question Hershey Neri always got growing up but never had an answer to. Today, she's an actor, content creator, and student taking up her Masters in Counseling Psychology. But, back then? She was just as lost with where she wanted to go and who she wanted to be.

Growing up, Hershey wasn't the type of student that was "book-smart." Math was a sour subject, and memorization just wasn't for her. Although, she did excel in other things like recitation, class participation, and presentations. She loved getting to do school activities in declamations, public speaking, and plays. But at the time, this didn't translate into something she wanted to do.

"I may be shaped by my past, but I am not defined by it. Pwede ako maging 'wounded healer.' At kahit hindi ako naging medical doctor tulad ng parents ko, healer parin ako. I can still help others."

So when it came to deciding courses, she followed her parent's steps and got into a pre-med at the UP College of Nursing. In her first year of Nursing, she learned compassion for helping and taking care of others, but academic-wise, she couldn't enjoy or find her "why" in it. When she looked at all her classmates who had dreams of being in healthcare, she couldn't relate. So she asked herself, "What is it I'm good at?" Drawing back to her roots, she shifted from nursing to communication.

Communication led her to want to pursue law to take action and amplify the voices of women who were oppressed. But as she was about to graduate, something traumatic happened from a harasser, and this led to a legal case. From all the back and forth legal papers, she realized that it was not something she wanted to go back to. She didn't want to go back to that memory. 

Coincidentally, as someone looking for her new chapter, she found a job as a copywriter and content producer for an agency called Blank Slate. With that, she later on got into ABS-CBN as a writer for the fashion magazine, Metro. And for a while there, she was happy and dreamed of being an Editor-in-Chief. She manifested it on vision boards and told everyone around her. Until her third year on the job, she realized that she no longer wanted to pursue that. This confused her as she had always been adamant to be an EIC. Could she change her dream just like that? But she learned, changing your dream means growth. "It's okay to outgrow your dreams," she says.

"I may be shaped by my past, but I am not defined by it. PweKeep looking for your why. Because deep inside, ikaw lang makakasagot kung sino ka ba talaga and where you're meant to be."

From there, Hershey resigned from her job and took up her current masters program in Counseling Psychology. Her "why" became a dream to help out women who've been oppressed and harassed. It was through a therapist she was able to heal from her experience. And because of that, she wanted to pass it on and be a therapist, as well. She realized: "I am not defined by that. I may be shaped by my past, but I am not defined by it. Pwede ako maging 'wounded healer.' At kahit hindi ako naging medical doctor tulad ng parents ko, healer parin ako. I can still help others."

While studying, she needed a part-time job in between, so she started a business venture. But, unfortunately from the pandemic, it failed to the point that she only had Php 2,000 in her wallet. This led her to sell yoga mats online to make up some of the losses. But one day, she got a call. Someone remembered a viral video she made back in 2018 and wanted her to audition for a role in TV. Despite her initial hesitance, she auditioned and that led to her start in an entertainment career. From working behind the scenes, she went into a life on-cam. She realized her love for hosting, acting, entertaining, and just generally putting a smile on people's faces.

Hershey has been through many things and worked many fields in her career, despite her age. Where previously, she couldn't answer what she wanted to be. Now, she can't answer what she does. But through her experiences, it tells us that the journey is whatever we want it to be. Even her dreams now may change. She says: "Keep exploring. Keep trying. Keep making mistakes and learning from them. Keep discovering your strengths. Keep looking for your why. Because deep inside, ikaw lang makakasagot kung sino ka ba talaga and where you're meant to be."
Feeling inspired by Hershey's story? The career journey doesn't stop at one point. It can be whatever you feel at the moment! Take our Future Fest Quests here to navigate your path.