Lara Quigaman Opens Up About Life After Migrating To Canada And Getting Her Dream Job

The Miss International 2005 titleholder has shared about her quiet but fulfilling life in Canada. On top of it all is her newest milestone—being a preschool teacher. In a recent interview with OMNI Television, Lara opened up about her content life as a preschool teacher.

"Preschool teacher ako. Meron akong four classes ng preschool. After noon, out-of-school care. Iba-iba yung age group na nahahawakan ko, which is good too, kasi masarap," she said. "Masarap yung feeling na iba-iba yung level ng bata, yung nakakasama ko, nakakausap ko."

It wasn't initially part of her plan when they migrated to Canada, but she affirmed that it has always been her dream to be a teacher. She told OMNI Television, "Hindi ko alam na in-demand yung mga teachers. Nung nagdesisyon lang kami kung ano yung kukunin kong kurso, sabi ko talaga, 'Gusto kong maging preschool teacher. Gusto kong mag-ECE.' So, parang tinuloy ko lang yung pangarap ko."

In an Instagram post uploaded last June 22, 2024, Lara wrote, "Hi! I'm Teacher Lara!" It was her celebratory post after earning a degree in Early Childhood Education at Langara College.

She happily shared in her post, "I remember doing an ad 20 years ago where I said, 'I want to have 12 children!' Well, guess what? Now I have over 70+—and that's not even including my own!" Lara also expressed deep gratitude for how her life has unfolded, especially for the opportunity to serve and make a positive impact on children's lives.

"Calling ang pagiging educator. Kailangan talaga mahal mo ang ginagawa mo," she said about her job. She goes on to describe how inclusive Canada's education system is at the moment.

"Dito ito sa Canada, everyone's included. So, kahit, halimbawa, may special needs, children with autism, children with behavioral needs or challenges, lahat iyan kasama, halo-halo," she said.

"So, mahirap lang minsan, kasi may times na, siyempre, iba-iba din naman yung moods ng mga bata, di ba? So, nagsasabay-sabay," Lara pointed out. "More than the physical na pagod, minsan parang gusto ko silang tulungan. 'Di mo alam kung pa'no mo sila tutulungan kasi may mga bata na non-verbal. Hindi nila ma-explain kung ano yung nararamdaman nila." 

And although they might have a quiet and comfortable life at the moment, Lara noted how tough it was for them when they first moved to Canada.

"When we moved to Canada, talagang pinrepare namin yung sarili namin. Meron kaming mindset na pagdating naming doon, tayo lang talaga. Hindi gaya sa Pilipinas. Hindi magiging madali yung journey, so kailangan ready. Mukhang madali siya, pero it’s not," she stated.