Iya forever on her toes

Author: Maridol Rañoa-Bismark

Iya Villania could easily take the path of least resistance. She could sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of her labor. But she'd rather not. Iya would rather keep on moving and stay on her toes.

That's why she chose to enroll in a regular school instead of a distance learning institution. Iya wants to feel how it is to be in a typical classroom setting: how to catch the professor's attention to speak her mind, outdo other students in getting an important reference book in the library, etc.

Now, she's nearing the homestretch. This December, Iya will finish her BS Psychology course at De La Salle University with flying colors. In doing so, she will show to the world that yes, showbiz and studies do mix. And one can excel in both fields at the same time.

"I value education," she explains. "For me, it's very important. I dream of putting up a school someday as a fallback position. Showbiz, you see, is not forever. And, given more time, I want to pursue a master's degree. "

Big dreams, these. But Iya knows she won't get them on a silver platter. She has to work doubly hard. And boy, she does!

Iya reviews videos of her interviews as VJ and host and chides herself, "You should have said this, you should have asked that. "

"I'm my worst critic. And yes, I'm a perfectionist," she admits.

Make that hands-on, too. Even if she can always turn to boyfriend Drew Arellano for help in her assignments, Iya would rather answer the exercises herself. Otherwise, she'll feel shortchanged.

"Drew shares his inputs in my studies," relates Iya. But the spade work is still hers.

"I feel guilty when people do things for me. I won't learn that way. Besides, I want to feel that I've worked hard for what I have," she reasons out.

While such diligence has many plus points, it also has its downside. Drew tells Iya she should relax, take it easy and avoid being too harsh on herself. Iya advises her boyfriend of three years the same thing when he gets overloaded with work.

"That's why we complete each other," Iya smiles. And that's why they've lasted this long in a world where relationships are as fickle as fame.

Iya and Drew don't let their busy schedules get in the way of their relationship. As Iya says, love ranks somewhere between school and work in her list of priorities. She always finds time for Drew, and he does the same for her.

It helps that they share the same values. Drew, a college degree holder himself, understands her passion for education. That's why he gives her space whenever she has school work to do.

"School keeps me grounded," Iya reveals. She's not Iya the celebrity on campus, but Iya the student. No amount of acting like a celebrity in school will get her anywhere. In fact, it will only turn off everybody.

Nothing is more obnoxious than having a snobbish celebrity acting like a prima donna when you have a group project to finish. Thus, Iya rolls up her sleeves like everyone else and even burns the midnight oil with them if needed.

That's why some of her classmates have approached her and said, "We thought you're a snob, but we were wrong. "

The words are music to her ears. After all, she wants to disprove the common notion that celebrities are such high hats. And she wants to be the first to be a walking example of what she wants to prove.

Her efforts have not been in vain. Glamlab, a brand of fragrances and personal care items, is tapping Iya's sugar-and-spice image to help it push its products.

Glamlab execs believe they made the right choice in getting Iya as endorser since she straddles two worlds -- that of the students and the working class.

"Very few celebrity teens can effectively manage their showbiz careers, school and family at the same time," observes Glamlab marketing assistant Roch Santo's. "Iya exudes fun, youthfulness and glamor which appeal to a wider target market, particularly students and the working class. "

Iya herself has strong ideas about scents she'd love to wear. She goes for fruity scents that make her feel fresh the minute she steps into her car and sprays it all over her.

"Putting on fragrance is the last step in my daily grooming habits because I'd like the scent to last a long time," she explains.

And while she's at it, Iya says it won't be a bad idea to come up with her own line of fragrance someday. And like her, the scent will not announce her name in blazing, loud letters. She'd rather have a brand name, with the words "by Iya" added to it, as if they're only an afterthought.

That's the Iya effect for you -- gradual, yes; but something you can't easily dismiss. Like fine perfume, it lingers, long after its presence first envelopes you.

Iya and fragrances do make for a good combination after all.

Source: The Philippine Star