Ivy de Leon lost her job at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her employer, unsure of how to handle the lockdown, let her go. Almost due to giving birth to her first child and unable to apply for new jobs during the lockdown, Ivy was unemployed for nearly two months. To make matters worse, her landlady asked her to leave the dorm room where she was staying. Thankfully, a friend’s family welcomed her and let her stay with them for free.

After giving birth, Ivy moved to Bulacan, stayed with relatives, and found a job at a manufacturing company. When she got pregnant with her second child, she decided to return home to Sorsogon and started looking for work-from-home opportunities so she could take care of her children.

When she applied to the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), she pinned her hopes on luck.

“Who would hire an expectant mother? But I have to keep trying,” Ivy said. It turned out that her condition was not an issue at all with ZFF, and she was hired immediately as Finance Assistant.

Ivy is a certified math whiz, influenced by her father who taught her long division and problem-solving exercises. She represented her school in Math Olympiads, competing in interschool, regional, and national finals.

She initially wanted to be an engineer, but a teacher’s comment in high school (who said he didn’t take up engineering because he couldn’t draw) swayed her to pursue Accountancy instead. Although she passed up the chance to study at the University of the Philippines, she was a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) scholar in college, and now she loves what she does.

“There was a point when I regretted those decisions, especially when I realized that Accountancy is not all Math,” Ivy said, “but there is no point in thinking about that now.”

She fondly remembers giving honor to her school during Math Olympiads. One of her favorite memories is her first plane ride from Sorsogon to Manila to represent her school at a Metrobank Math competition. “It was an unforgettable moment because we were sent to the National finals,” she said.

Ivy is grateful to ZFF for giving her a chance during the pandemic when many people lost jobs and livelihoods. The only major adjustment she had to make for her job was getting used to doing everything online.

“I am used to seeing my work on paper,” she said. “I could easily spot what I need when I see a hard copy, as opposed to doing everything on a computer. It is a small thing, which I know I will get used to in the long run.”

Ivy is happy to be part of an organization that makes a difference in society. Now a Finance Associate at ZFF, she finds joy in knowing that her work contributes to a larger mission.

“Even if my job doesn’t directly impact ZFF’s programs, I take pride in being a piece of a puzzle that helps make people’s lives better,” Ivy said.