Young star Kim de los Santos, 17, receives her high school diploma this month from Sunny Hill. While
other graduates look forward to the  celebration and the presents they will receive from their loved
ones, Kim is hoping to receive a special graduation gift: that both her dad and mom will be around to
share the special occasion with her. 

Definitely, her dad is coming home from the States to be with her but her parents have been separated
since she was 12 so Kim isn't sure her mom will be around. The two are not divorced nor have they
found separate partners, so Kim thinks they're just taking time out to see if they're really meant for each other.

Cultural differences

The last time Kim talked to her dad, he hinted that her mom might join him on his trip to the Philippines. She admits she finds it hard to communicate with her mother, but Kim will be the happiest person on earth if her parents reconciled. She doesn't understand why she and her mom are not close. Maybe it's
because her mother is Caucasian and there are cultural differences. Kim was born in the United States but she has spent more time in the Philippines.

She doesn't know how to reach out to her mom. Although both her parents are not demonstrative, she has become closer to her dad. "He calls me his Little Princess. Tuwang-tuwa ako pag tinawag niya akong anak," Kim smiles. Mr. De Los Santos calls her every other day and plays a major role in her career. In
fact, when she signed her contract with Viva, he made sure that there were provisions against her coming out in bathing suits and kissing scenes.

Stronger person

Marital break-ups are traumatic for children but Kim has chosen to learn from the experience rather than get devastated by it. "It has made me a stronger person. I now understand what life is all
about. When I do get married, I'll know how to take care of myself. I don't have to run home to my parents everytime I have a problem with my husband."

Kim does look like she can handle herself very well. After all, she was 10 when she became a breadwinner, supporting a number of relatives. She knows how to prepare for a rainy day. She has just set up a beauty salon and fashion boutique on Commonwealth ave. which will open next month.

She is also a penny pincher when it comes to finances.

There was a time when co-star Dino Guevarra asked her and some relatives and friends to eat at at a steak house. She was shocked when she looked at the prices, and though she appreciated Dino's gesture, the group ended up going home and having Century Tuna afritada and tuyo. "Biro mo, mga P800 o P 1,000 bawat order. You can go to market with that kind of money!" she gasps.

She hasn't forgotten the bad times when she had to borrow money just so she could go to "That's Entertainment," where she started.

Practical

Kim is also practical when it comes to her career. She knows show biz is an unpredictable field so she intends to go to college after graduating from high school. She has applied at UST and expects to tale up Communication Arts next school year.

She says she did well in her academics. Her grades are in the 80s and considering her busy schedule, that's quite good. But she says, "I could have done better. When I was studying fulltime, honor student ako." She's glad that Viva schedules her tapings after school hours. "Importante kay VR (Veronique del Rosario)
ang studies ko. This job won't last forever. She's concerned not only with my career but also with my personal life."

Viva has big plans for Kim. She's about to appear in her first starring role with Dino Guevarra and other young stars in "Honey, My Love, So Sweet." Viva realizes that there's a need to develop new faces for the new millennium and is giving opportunities to talented performers like Kim to prove themselves.

We were impressed by her self-confidence during the interview. She reminded us of a young Vilma Santos as she answered questions with the self-assurance of someone who's been in show biz a long time. We expect only good things from her.