SHE ALMOST QUIT SHOW BIZ, said Nikki Gil, who suffered from burnout while juggling roles as a TV host, singer, actress and college student.

?There were days when I?d go straight to school from work?without sleep, without taking a bath. I asked myself, ?Why am I doing this?? Then I?d break into tears,? Nikki told Inquirer Entertainment on Monday.

On to law school

On March 28, Nikki will graduate with an English Literature degree from the Ateneo de Manila University. She intends to go to law school.

?Whenever I felt exhausted, I reminded myself that I was getting breaks other people only dream of,? she said. ?I thought of God?s blessings. This gave me the strength to continue.?

Nikki, 21, is a regular host of the Sunday variety show ?ASAP ?09? and a mainstay of the drama program ?Pieta.?

Valedictorian

Nikki (Monica Paulene Santos Gil) finished high school in 2004 at the Shekinah Christian Training Center as batch valedictorian. She was singing in a church choir when an agent spotted her.

A year later, she starred in a Coca Cola TV commercial that set off her show biz career. She went on to record her self-titled debut CD, and became part of the cast of singers in the Asian version of the ?High School Musical 2? (a hit Disney Channel TV movie) soundtrack album.

In 2006, she joined Toni Gonzaga and Bianca Gonzalez to host the reality show ?Pinoy Dream Academy.? Soon, she will be seen in the soap ?Florinda? and the indie film ?2,999,? opposite Marvin Agustin.

Nikki said giving up school for work was never an option. She explained: ?I had an agreement with my dad. He said to me, ?If you stop studying, you also quit show biz.?? Nikki is also a recording artist of PolyEast Records.

What a feeling!

Nikki?s fellow ABS-CBN artist Iya Villania, 22, who graduated with a BS Psychology degree from De La Salle University last February, also never considered giving up school in favor of show biz. Apart from being host of two ABS-CBN shows (?ASAP ?09,? ?Us Girls?) and VJ on the music channel MYX, Iya is a Viva Records artist.

?There?s no better feeling than having gone through it. I wanted to prove that it is possible to study and work in show biz at the same time,? said the Fil-Australian actress.

Iya, or Raelene Elaine Ebaler Villania, grew up in Sydney. Her parents, Rey and Elena, are both of Filipino descent.

Iya began singing at an early age. By the time she turned 13, she had already performed as front act for visiting concert performers like Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera and the Apo Hiking Society in Sydney.

Game show host

She joined local show biz as a host of ?Game Channel,? an interactive game show on IBC 13. Then she was offered to join GMA 7?s youth-oriented program ?Click.? In 2004 she moved over to ABS-CBN and joined MYX and ?Seasons of Love,? another youth program.
Her film credits include the Richard Gutierrez-KC Concepcion starrer, ?When I Met U.?

Last year, Iya recorded her debut album, ?Finally.?

Psychology, Iya said, has been helping her adjust to the different personalities she meets at work. ?I really meant to use it in the ?real world,? like when I join a hospital or have my own clinic or become a counselor. I was just lucky I could apply some of what I?ve learned to show biz,? said Iya, who was consistently on the dean?s list even with her busy schedule.

Similarly, Nikki found her pre-law course useful. ?I?m a TV host. I have to read a lot. As a TV personality, keeping people interested is important,? she explained.

If she weren?t in show biz, Nikki would either be studying law or working in an advertising agency. ?Away from the limelight,? she stressed. ?When I was small, I made mini-commercials with my siblings and cousins. We invented products and made tag-lines for them.?

Iya, on the other hand, said she always imagined herself delving deeper into psychology. She may take up a master?s degree, she said, ?or put up my own clothing business, restaurant or a small school for kids.?

For Iya, finishing college means no more term papers to submit or science books to read intently. ?But I will miss the pressure of beating deadlines,? she admitted.

?I always say that school keeps my brain awake,? added Nikki. ?I will miss going to the library. I practically lived there.?

While both girls believe they?d be bigger stars now if not for school, they insisted that they have no regrets.

?I think my pacing was just right,? said Nikki. ?I wanted things to happen for me slowly but surely. But were it not for school, I?d have more time to hone my craft. I?d have time to accept more projects.?

Iya countered: ?I had to weigh a lot of factors. There were offers that conflicted with my class schedule. I prioritized my studies.?

But Nikki would not have it any other way. ?If I do get there and attain big stardom, I can proudly say I deserved it,? she said.

(Iya?s photos courtesy of ALV Productions, Nikki?s, Star Magic)

Email mcruz@inquirer.com.ph.