Kaori Oinuma recently marked a milestone in her collegiate journey.
In an Instagram post, the actress revealed that she has successfully completed her thesis.
In the photos she shared, Kaori gave fans a glimpse of the thesis she worked on alongside her groupmates at Philippine Women's University.
"Thesis had me mia (missing in action) but we're done 🥳," she wrote.
Fans were quick to congratulate Kaori for the achievement.
“Congrats!!! Proud of you!” one fan commented.
“Ang saya! Congrats sa thesis! ✨” another wrote.
Back in July 2023, Kaori shared that she was able to finish high school after ten years.
"After 10 years of finishing my high school!!! Sa dami ng nangyari, repeat after repeat after repeat, finally! This journey hasn’t been easy and I’ve eagerly awaited for this day," she posted on her Instagram page at that time.
Reflecting on her journey, the actress remarked: "One thing I realized, life is not a race, but embracing your own pace and defining your own success."
Kaori rose to fame after joining PBB: Otso in 2018, where she was dubbed as the "The Kawaii Daughter of Japan."
She made her acting debut in 2019 as part of the cast of the fantasy series Parasite Island. Since then, Kaori has starred in the hit youth-oriented series He's Into Her and the romance comedy film Love at First Stream.
In an interview with Karen Davila in November 2023, Kaori shared that her ultimate dream is to help her mother return to the Philippines in the future. The Kapamilya star's mother is currently working in Japan.
"Ang [pinapangarap] ko talaga ay mapauwi ang nanay ko dito sa Pinas. Hindi ko pa nararating 'yun pero kahit papano meron na ako natupad na pangarap which was sa probinsya namin nakabili na rin ako ng lupa, nakabili na rin ako ng sasakyan para sa pamilya ko," she said.
She went on: "Ngayong artista na, ang dami pa ring pangarap. Nandun pa rin 'yung pinaka-number one na mapauwi ang nanay ko dito," she stated.
The actress remarked that she is proud of her mother who has sacrificed a lot for their family.
"Proud ako kay mama sobra. Nakita ko gaano siya maghirap araw-araw. Araw-araw akong nabibilib ako sa kanya... Lalo na ngayon sobra ko siyang na-appreciate dahil wala siyang kasama dun ngayon. Siya lang mag-isa," she stated.
Kaori used to live with her mom in Japan and she was able to witness the journey of her hardworking mom who was working as a caregiver.
"'Yung mom ko nun parang sa isang buwan kasi meron silang anim na rest day pero minsan parang hindi ko siya nakikitang nagre-rest day kasi kailangan namin mag-ipon para makauwi ng Pinas pagka-summer break. Meron ding moments na parang naghahanap din si mama ng ibang work sa factory para makadagdag lang din sa [pambayad sa] mga gastusin namin," she stated.
On her message for her mother, Kaori said, "Sobrang nagpapasalamat ako na hinayaan niya akong matupad ang pangarap ko para sa amin din lahat. And kung ano man' yung meron ako ngayon, kung ano man 'yung napupundar ko ngayon, lahat yun sa kanila."
When asked what would her mom would do when she finally returns to the Philippines, the actress replied, "Ako na lang magtatrabaho. Ako na lang. Ako naman."