Patricia Isabel Mayor Sotto: A beautiful mind

Patricia Isabel Mayor Sotto marched to her seat with palpable excitement and confidence during graduation rites of the UP School of Economics held at the UP Theater recently. She was given the honor to enter the graduation venue first among the 145 graduates because she was the class valedictorian and a summa cum laude with an average of 1.146.

“Becoming summa cum laude was honestly never a goal of mine. The end-all and be-all of my academic aspirations had always been to simply pass the UPCAT, since most of my family came from UP,” says Patricia, “Trish” to her family and close friends, who took up Business Economics. Her aunt, Dr. Geraldine Mayor graduated BS Biology with magna cum laude honors from UP.

At the end of her freshman year, it dawned on Trish, who just turned 20, that her general weighted average (GWA) of 1.38 fell within the required range of summa cum laude standing. She pressed on. The following semester, her GWA was flat 1.0. Her class cards would further reveal the following GWAs: 1.16, 1.07, 1.10, 1.25, 1.15 and 1.05. (The School of Economics did not produce a summa cum laude last year.)

To say that Trish has it all — beauty and brains — is underlining the obvious. A dead ringer for Angelina Jolie, Trish further reveals what a genuine beauty she has inside. She is a product of loving kindness from her family. “My parents are my heroes. I am most grateful to them,” she says, her eyes filled with gratitude. From her mom Valerie, Trish learns every single day about believing in herself.  Her dad Ping reminds Trish whenever the going gets rough, “not to resent hard work because it will pay off.” Both her parents are UP graduates and entrepreneurs who dream bigger for their two children. “Oh, the greatest lesson I learned from my brother Miguel is to laugh. He always knew what to do or say to get me to stop crying and laugh again.”

Trish does not deny that the academic pressure made her cry. “I always, always cried! These past four years were absolutely filled to the brim with tears — a fact my family and friends know very well. I’m a crier, eh. That’s the way I deal with the pressure — I have to talk about it, and many times, cry about it. The grace under pressure part only comes around when it’s show time; I do not falter when there are big presentations, and even reach an almost Zen-like state once I receive the test paper and begin answering.”

Trish, also an honor student when she finished high school at the Assumption Convent in Makati, proves that beautiful girls could have beautiful brains, too. More than that, she is an affirmation that a balanced life produces the best results. Yes, she was always “150 percent” ready for her classes every day but , “I must say, however, that I never sacrificed my social life. I always made sure to see my friends and go out on the weekends. Fridays were non-negotiable, even. I think that’s how I stayed sane all those four years!”

It was a very sensible Trish with “Zen-like” demeanor who stood up from her seat to go up the stage to deliver her valedictory address that afternoon.

“The sunflowers are abloom on the road to the University of the Philippines, as was the hope that accompanied our first day here. We leave the university with even higher hopes — ours and the Filipino people’s,” she began her speech titled “Honoring a Debt to the Filipino People.”

With a grateful heart and mind, Trish told her audience that the UP Batch 2014’s education is a gift from the Filipino people. And because it is a gift, they are to pay it forward. Trish beautifully elucidated that their education can be used for a purpose greater than themselves.

“By enrolling in UP, we made a promise to the Filipino people, and the School of Economics has given us the tools to make good on our word. Those of us who don’t optimize our potentials are squandering taxpayers’ money even after we’ve left these hallowed halls. The investors in our future include the teacher who holds two jobs, the messenger who commutes along EDSA even at high noon, the salesperson on her feet for long hours. They have stake in how we turn out. Their future is our present. We should make them, and all those who invested in our education, feel that every UP student is blue-chip investment — and that somehow, someday, we would have been worth the sweat of their brow,” she said in her speech.

The applause accorded her at the end of her valedictory was rousing, thunderous even. Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, the graduation guest speaker, said Trish’s speech was “very inspiring.” Dean Ramon Clarete of the UP School of Economics also gave his thumbs up for the nuggets of wisdom he heard from her. Trish’s loving grandmother, Sonia Mayor, also an alumna of UP, clapped and gave her granddaughter an ovation. All the graduates were on their feet. It was a scene of revelry, a moment of victory, a celebration of what a beautiful mind is all about. Trish’s face was calm as she went back to her seat. True to form, she was Zen-like. On her mien resided the presence of God to whom this young lady surrenders all back.

The deafening applause rang through Trish’s ears but that moment in time, she told me after the rites, she was also thinking of her inspiration: her late grandpa Frank Mayor.

“I knew how much my late grandfather valued academic achievement, and when he was alive, he was my number one supporter. Just the thought of making him happy would be more than enough for me to pick up that book again, to finish that problem set, to pass on that night out. He really is the greatest inspiration in my academic career, and one of the dearest people to my heart. I love him so much and think of him every day. He may not have been here when I finally achieved that pinnacle of all academic achievement — but I knew he was watching from Heaven, beaming with pride and heart swelling with consummate happiness,” she says.

Her brilliance is luminous, undeniable even. Her beautiful heart is encompassing. Patricia Isabel Mayor Sotto is the perfect formula for a life that is balanced by excellence and gratitude, by hard work and love, by discipline and fortitude. She holds no reservation that hers is a life that will definitely give back.

(For your new beginnings, e-mail me at bumbaki@yahoo.com. I’m also on Twitter @bum_tenorio and Instagram @bumtenorio. Have a blessed Sunday.)