Her strict upbringing resulted in an almost planned life during her formative years. She took up piano and voice lessons when she was a child; an obvious consequence of her mother's profession and passion. In college, her father insisted that she take up accountancy at the University of Santo Tomas (UST); again, following the footsteps of her father. Throughout her student years, she was not allowed to go out with friends, to have a boyfriend, or to enjoy life the way other teenagers of her time did. She led a life that had a very definite pattern – home-school-home.