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It's been a tough year for students, so we asked six graduates how they managed to navigate through the pandemic and remain optimistic and excited about the future
Kendra Morris (Harvard University)
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How was your high school senior year like and your graduation ceremony?
Definitely one of the most emotionally and mentally challenging times. Between the transition to hybrid learning, completing college applications, extracurriculars, Covid scares and the heavy IB course load, I felt there was never a moment where I could be completely calm.
However, I appreciate the opportunity to spend the last few months with my entire class on campus. We were able to partake in senior traditions and festivities, including graduation. Being able to physically walk on stage to receive my diploma and cheer for my peers as they received theirs were experiences that I would not trade for the world.
What was your most memorable experience in high school?
Those were made through extracurricular activities such as Promoting Rural Education in the Philippines (PREP) and Varsity sports (softball and volleyball). These activities created a true sense of community during my years at ISM.
What are you taking at university?
While I am still undecided, I intend to concentrate on Social Studies and take a secondary course in Environmental Science and Public Policy with a focus on sustainable development and agriculture.
What made you choose Harvard and what are you excited to see and experience there?
Choosing a university is very subjective. It is your decision and your decision alone. Each person should create a list of criteria. After formulating my criteria, I realised that Harvard was the best fit for me. Rather than catering to the competitive mindset breeds in many high school/university settings, I intend to absorb as much knowledge as possible by appreciating the diversity and abundance of talent around me.
What are your goals after university?
I’m interested in environmental work run by NGOs and IGOs like the United Nations, and in projects geared towards sustainability, especially within the agriculture sector. Ultimately, I aspire to build a new path for agriculture in the Philip- pines. My goal is to use my knowledge and experiences from Harvard to develop local food systems.
Read more: 7 Light Makeup Looks You Can Easily Recreate on Graduation Day
Manolo Angara (Santa Clara University)
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How was your high school senior year like and your graduation ceremony?
My senior year of high school was very tough and demanding. I was studying online and competing in many tennis tournaments. I had to try and balance both of them out. Imagine the pressure in and out of the court, simultaneously, final exams, projects and applications! But I am still very grateful I had the flexibility of time to pursue my passions and my advocacies.
I didn’t have a proper graduation ceremony as I completed my last two years of high school online—a little anticlimactic.
What was your most memorable experience in high school?
My most memorable experience in high school would be reuniting with all my friends after a long time without seeing them.
What are you taking at university?
I will be majoring in economics.
What made you choose SCU and what are you excited to see and experience there?
The reason why I chose SCU is that it is a Jesuit school and has an excellent reputation. They also have a fantastic tennis team. I am very excited about the independence I will
have there and having to figure out many things on my own and to meet all kinds of people from different backgrounds from around the world.
Rand Santos (University of California, Berkeley)
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How was your high school senior year like and your graduation ceremony?
Completing senior year during a pandemic was undoubtedly challenging. Most of the school year was spent remotely, a very different experience from face-to-face education. But despite the challenges of this period, I found a silver lining by pursuing rugby excellence overseas in South Africa and the United States (where I played under the U18s National Team as captain) while continuing my education online with ISM. There I met people of all backgrounds while finding common ground in the game of rugby. That’s the power of rugby anywhere in the world. These unique experiences certainly made my graduation a proud moment!
What was your most memorable experience in high school?
My most memorable experience was winning the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) rugby competition as a sophomore. I captained the team and won all-tournament honours against ISKL—the team that beat us the year before.
What are you taking at university?
I am undeclared in the College of Letters and Sciences at the University of California Berkeley. I am interested in either pursuing political science or business.
What made you choose UC Berkeley and what are you excited to see and experience there?
I chose UC Berkeley as it is the US’s gold standard for academics and rugby. The school’s abundant resources, professors and classes integrated with its global diversity curated my perfect fit. As one of Cal Rugby’s newest recruits, I believe UC Berkeley is the right institution to help me grow as a student-athlete. I’ll be training under the helm of Jack Clark, a legend in intercollegiate rugby in the US.
What are your goals after university?
Athletically, I hope to play professional rugby at the highest level possible. Following university, I am looking to either attend graduate school or further pursue professional interests in business management. Ultimately, I want to continue giving back to the Filipino people through the Makati Mavericks Sports Foundation, which I co-founded with my dad Rick Santos, brothers Ryan and Reed, with now ISM Superintendent Bill Brown and friends AJ and Wiremu O’Regan-Brown.
Evie Arroyo (University of California, Los Angeles)
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How was your high school senior year like and your graduation ceremony?
Challenging, to say the least. Because of the pandemic, my classes were almost all online. I felt I was not learning as efficiently as I did with face-to-face, so I had to learn a lot on my own. I am grateful to my family, friends and teachers. I could graduate on campus and see batchmates and teachers I hadn’t seen since the pandemic’s beginning. Closing a chapter like this after feeling like I had just returned was very bittersweet.
What was your most memorable experience in high school?
Because my school’s cheer team won the National Cheerleading Championship in 2018, we were chosen to compete at the International Cheer Union in Florida. Leading up to the competition, I was tumbling, stunting, dancing and practising with my teammates for up to eight hours every day— even when we had school. It took literal blood, sweat, and tears to get there, but it was all worth it. Meeting teams worldwide and even some of my favourite people on Netflix’s Cheer was surreal. Being able to represent my country through one of my favourite sports still feels like a dream.
What are you taking at university?
Business Economics.
What made you choose UCLA and what are you excited to see and experience there?
Quality education, renowned professors, and a wide variety of organisations. This last was a significant factor because the activities I took on had a substantial effect on my values growing up. I look forward to experiencing all these with UCLA’s diverse student body, getting to learn about different cultures, and exchanging insights with some of the brightest minds in the world.
What are your goals after university?
More studies for law or a master’s degree. Or work with banks or microfinance institutions to make affordable credit more accessible. I might even pursue something completely different that sparks my interest, like sociology. I hope to take what I learn back home and contribute to my country’s development.
See also: 10 Best Schools for Postgraduate Studies in Asia and Australia
Eliana Atienza (University of Pennsylvania)
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How was your high school senior year like and your graduation ceremony?
Definitely isolating at times. With the pandemic, it was easy to feel very distanced from your community, so feelings of loneliness were commonplace among my friends and I. However, I am so grateful that my school was able to facilitate in-person classes near the end of the academic year. I could have an in-person graduation ceremony, and that opportunity was such a special moment of catharsis
What was your most memorable experience in high school?
They all involve time spent with the people important to me. I treasure the laughs I shared with friends and the meals with my family. Those special moments have shaped me into the person I am today. Now that I am in college, I realised that academic performance holds very little memorability compared to the people who made high school so memorable. Decades from now, I know it will not be the scores or awards I will remember but the moments when I felt a part of a community more significant than myself.
What are you taking at university?
I have always been interested in urban development and environmental conservation and, I want to see how they can intersect. I am in the College of Arts and Sciences at UPenn hoping to double major in Environmental Studies and Urban Studies.
What made you choose UPenn and what are you excited to see and experience there?
Because of its internationalism and multiculturalism. It is a melting pot, which makes for a significant learning experience. I am excited to get hands-on experience in a pre-professional atmosphere to learn how to use my passions in pushing the envelope for socio-economic and environmental change.
What are your goals after university?
To make a difference in the Philippines’ urban landscape. I am eager to return and help in urban development and environmental resource management.
Vincent Tiu (University of Pennsylvania)
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How was your high school senior year like and your graduation ceremony?
My HS senior year was very wild! I’m grateful that our school was one of the first to restart physical schooling in November, allowing us to chat with classmates, scribble on whiteboards and participate in interactive activities that boosted our learning. Our graduation ceremony was exceptionally well-planned, thanks to the efforts of our teachers and parents, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to walk the carpet and receive my diploma in person!
What was your most memorable experience in high school?
It’s hard to choose a single experience to define my high-school journey, but a very memorable one was our school’s Head Student elections in 2021. Applying and running for Head Student made me engage more with my school community and understand the situation of many other students. It also prompted much self-reflection on my end, making me consider my goals and dreams for my life.
What are you taking at university?
I’m studying Computer Science (Compsci) at the Engineering and Applied Science School! Compsci excites me because of the variety of applications and uses computers have in our modern world. From processing complex problems using large servers and mainframes to optimising mobile Smartphone applications, I think there’s much to explore in this field!
What made you choose UPenn and what are you excited to see and experience there?
I chose to go to Penn mainly because of the school’s tight-knit student and alumni community. Every Penn alumni I met always seemed very energetic and intelligent, and I knew I wanted to surround myself with the same calibre of people during my college experience. I’m very excited to experience the annual Penn traditions, take some classes at Wharton and make use of Penn’s top-class Pottruck sporting facility!
What are your goals after university?
After university, I’m interested in working as a software engineer for a few years to gain practical experience applying my coding and technology skills to real-world problems. I dream to continue using technology to make people’s lives more efficient and enjoyable, and I hope to create many exciting projects in the future!
