Don’t let insecurities about your body or appearance hold you back from demonstrating your talent and value as an individual.

For a native of Bulacan, cleft lip and palate did not hinder Nikka to place top 3 in board exam. Plus, she has lots more of accomplishments to be proud of.

Licensure Exam Top 3

Nikka Tan Parulan, a proud Bulacan native, exemplified this by securing the Top 3 spot in the November 2022 Nursing Licensure Examination with an impressive 89.60% rating.

Nikka earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Dr. Yanga’s College in Balagtas, Bulacan.

Impressive List of Achievements

In addition to these accomplishments, she received numerous awards during their commencement exercises, including the Clinical Proficiency Award, Special Citation for Outstanding Research Presentation, Best in Thesis, Best in Oral Presentation, and Fidelity Award.

With such an impressive list of accolades, one might assume that Nikka possesses a high level of self-confidence, as her academic success highlights her exceptional abilities.

Struggles with Cleft Lip and Palate

However, in reality, Nikka struggles with insecurities about her appearance due to her cleft lip and palate.

She experienced trauma whenever she had to speak, particularly during class reports and presentations.

She shared this heartfelt sentiment in a Facebook post dated June 25, 2022.

Nikka Receives Free Operation

According to an FB post by Philippine Band of Mercy, Nikka received free operation with the help of several organizations.

In 2016, she was operated at PBM and received other services such as speech therapy and dental services.

Similar to other cleft patients, she experienced discrimination and bullying, which lowered her self-esteem. In turn, these taught her compassion and kindness.

She said, “our imperfection is just a part of who we are. Parte lang yan, hindi kabuuan. Madami pang magagandang bagay ang meron din tayo. And it is okay to be different. May we continue to inspire and share our uniqueness and gifts to the world.”

A Volunteer Nurse for Outreach Operations

Now officially a registered nurse, Nikka allots time to support PBM’s outreach missions such as on December 10, 2022, when an operation was help at Olongapo, Zambales.

Congratulations!