Lesson Plans of Life: How One Instructor Turned Her Battle with Cancer into a Curriculum of Hope

Every classroom begins with a plan—objectives to meet, lessons to master, and challenges to overcome. For Ma’am Shamaine Sarmiento, her greatest lesson didn’t come from textbooks, but from the pages of her own life.

When she was diagnosed with cancer, the world seemed to erase everything she had neatly written on her life’s board. The diagnosis was her “pre-assessment,” a test of faith and strength she hadn’t prepared for. Yet, like any great teacher, instead of giving in, she did what she had always done best: she learned, she adapted, and she began to rewrite her own plans—one moment of courage at a time.

Lesson 1: Faith Over Fear

In Biochemistry, Ma’am Shamaine teaches about the smallest molecules that sustain life. When her own life was tested, she found that the strongest bond of all wasn’t chemical—it was faith. Unseen, unmeasurable, but powerful enough to move mountains.

She began her career as a medical technologist, but her heart was always drawn to teaching. Over the years, she shared her knowledge with students in junior and senior high school and worked as a part-time lecturer at a college in Olongapo City. When the pandemic struck, she and her family decided to leave the city and came to Pampanga. That move opened a new chapter in her journey—first as an instructor at another school and later at Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU), now Pampanga State University, where she continues to serve under the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). She is currently in her third year at the institution, marking an inspiring 22 years of dedication to the teaching profession.

However, life soon introduced a lesson she never expected. In March 2023, everything she had planned took a sudden turn when she was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, a Stage IIA breast cancer. She admitted that the journey tested her in ways she had never imagined.

“My journey as a cancer survivor was never easy. Just like any other cancer patient, I experienced a lot of trials and hardships in terms of my health status,” she shared.

But even when fear threatened to take over, she was kept grounded by the people around her. Her students became her motivation, her classroom her refuge, and her faith her anchor. Through every treatment and moment of weakness, she held on to the lesson she had always taught others: that life, no matter how uncertain, continues to move forward.

“I have to continue my oath being a teacher and I am not used to staying at home doing nothing—just thinking of my illness. So I said to myself, I should beat cancer. I should have a strong will to overcome this,” she affirmed.

Lesson 2: Strength in Service

As an instructor of Microbiology and Public Health, she understands how diseases work, but her strength came from serving others despite her own pain, proving that compassion is the best kind of immunity.

Her illness didn’t weaken her sense of purpose, it reminded her of it. She shared that her experience reshaped her perspective in life and teaching, helping her refocus on what truly mattered: her students.Despite her condition, she continued to show up in the classroom, believing that with the right motivation and focus, anything could be done, even in the face of illness—“kahit cancer pa ‘yan,” she said.

There were moments when she thought of giving up, especially during her chemotherapy sessions every 21 days. She would often time them on Fridays to rest through the weekend and return to class by Monday. “The side effects of chemo were sometimes unbearable,” she admitted. “But I always prayed and believed that this would all pass—that everything I was going through was only temporary.”

As an Analytical Chemistry and Environmental Science instructor, she also teaches that everything in life follows balance and order. Her story mirrors that same lesson. That even in the midst of chaos, purpose restores equilibrium.

Now, each day she steps into the classroom is more than routine—it is a quiet victory. A living reminder that real strength is not measured by how much one can bear, but by how steadfastly they continue to serve, even when it hurts.

Lesson 3: Healing Beyond the Body

In Ethics and Health Education, she emphasizes integrity and humanity in care. Those same values guided her through recovery, reminding her that healing doesn’t end when the body recovers, but when the spirit becomes whole again.

Before her diagnosis, Ma’am Shamaine lived a life familiar to many educators—juggling work, graduate studies, and sleepless nights. “I was always under stress,” she admitted. “That was my routine. I realized it should not be like that.”

Her journey taught her one of life’s greatest truths: that health should not be taken for granted, and it should never compensate with anything. It took her illness to understand the importance of rest and self-love.

Yet even in sickness, her experience reshaped her philosophy in both life and teaching. It reminded her that goals mean little without wellness, and that success loses its meaning when achieved at the cost of one’s own peace.

“Good health is the key,” she reflected. “If you are healthy, all your heart’s desires are possible. Health is wealth.”

Lesson 4: Light Years of Hope

In Astronomy, she teaches that even distant stars shine brightest in darkness. Her story is a proof that no matter how far hope seems, it always finds its way back—just as she did.

Throughout her journey, Ma’am Shamaine found light in the people around her. Her faith, her students, and her friends became her steady sources of strength. She now hopes that others who may be facing similar struggles find courage in her story.

Cancer has long been known as one of the hardest illnesses to fight. It has no direct cure, only treatments, and yet, she stands as proof that unwavering hope can also be a powerful kind of medicine, one that heals not just the body, but the soul.

Her story is a reminder and a testament that cancer may have changed her body, but it deepened the spirit—one that continues to teach others to live fully, to love deeply, and to fight bravely.

Now in her third year as a cancer survivor, she continues to undergo oral chemotherapy. She said she does not know what tomorrow holds, but she will never give up. She will continue to embrace the life that the Lord has given her, believing that strength is born from surrender and courage grows from trust.

As she beautifully puts it, “When life gives you a wave, ride it to the end with faith and confidence in your heart.”

In the grand classroom of life, Ma’am Shamaine continues to teach lessons that no syllabus could contain. Through her journey, she has turned her battle with cancer into a living lesson—a lesson plan of life—where hope becomes the ultimate subject, and every day, she stands before her students as both teacher and testament that faith and resilience are the truest forms of education.

Above all, her story shows that educators too, are lifelong learners. Ma’am Shamaine learned that true strength isn’t measured by how much one can endure alone, but by how much one can still give—even when in pain. Teaching became her healing space, and every lesson she delivered reminded her that service is not just part of her job, it is part of her recovery.

In every class she enters, she carries both her scars and her strength, proof that even in life’s hardest tests, one can still choose to serve, to inspire, and to keep showing up. It is in serving others that she continues to heal.