Rabiya Mateo begins med school, proves she can chase multiple dreams

Boyfriend Jake Cuenca cheers her on as she takes first step toward becoming a doctor.

Rabiya Mateo takes a major step toward her dream of becoming a doctor

Rabiya Mateo is stepping into a new chapter this time, trading the pageant and entertainment spotlight for the demanding halls of medical school.

The former Miss Universe Philippines titleholder and Miss Universe 2020 semifinalist has officially begun her studies at the University of Santo Tomas, where she is pursuing medicine under the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

Rabiya recently gave a glimpse of the milestone as she donned her medical school uniform ahead of the Thomasian Welcome Rites, marking the beginning of her journey toward the profession she has long dreamed of pursuing.

For Rabiya, becoming a doctor is not simply another career goal but a dream she hopes will inspire other young women to believe that they can pursue more than one ambition in life.

“You can have a lot of dreams in your life. It doesn’t mean that you have this lifetime and you can only have one goal to reach. I want to be a doctor that is so inspirational that other younger women would look up to and they would say that this girl made everything possible,” she shared.

Her new academic journey also received a sweet show of support from boyfriend and actor Jake Cuenca, who proudly celebrated her first day of medical school through an Instagram Story.

“First day of school, proud of you,” Jake wrote.

From representing the Philippines on the international pageant stage to establishing herself in show business, Rabiya is now taking on one of her biggest challenges yet.

With medical school officially underway, she is working toward turning another longtime dream into reality: becoming a doctor and, along the way, proving that pursuing one dream does not mean giving up on the others.

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