MANILA, Philippines — A student who asked the University of the Philippines (UP) to reconsider his application back in 2019 has graduated as magna cum laude from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).
Rufino "Ino" Pamaran III finished Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Economics at the said university.
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Ino said the viral photo fueled his desire to be an honor student.
“I think the phrase ‘having a chip on my shoulder’ fits how my pursuit of honors became the way it is. I definitely felt more eager to expand myself in college to fully live up to the best of my expectations of myself to do good. I was extremely motivated to learn all that I cannot even just inside the classroom,” he said.
“I do feel some sort of sadness due to the changes brought about during the pandemic though. Many college life activities couldn’t be done during the time and it was too late for some of them or they changed so much after the new normal. But I can say that the version of me that held that sign before would be proud of how far we came and that version definitely helped me push forward throughout my time in PLM,” he added.
Ino said that graduating as magna cum laude is an “unusual feeling” for him after the viral photo.
“Personally, it’s been so long in my mind since that time that I stood outside UP. So much school works and progress through life happened since then that I get surprised when people I only met recently recall it, for example. A part of me does sometimes wonder what kind of skills I would develop if I was studying under UP, but to see my hard work in PLM be rewarded as an honor student feels very good to me,” he said.
He also has a message for the youth who are inspired by his story.
“A good message for them is to truly live these early parts of our lives to the fullest with no fear. Challenges like overcoming academic shortcomings and the pandemic always have the chance to hold people down, but everyone is capable of pushing through even the toughest of battles. Staying true to what you feel you need to do is important, too,” he said.
“Standing outside UP might not have led to the outcome I wanted at the time, but I feel I would’ve regretted it even more if I didn’t stay true to myself and at least try. So I believe stepping out of your comfort zone and trying hard for the things you believe in is always something worth doing for you,” he added.
When asked what is next for him, Ino said he would love to pay it forward by helping Filipinos through public service.
“I’m eager to see what that would look like for me. I’ve always been interested in helping our kababayans through public service and I’d love to work towards making that dream happen. Events like the election showed how much Pinoys desire a better future and I’d love to help our generation work toward just that,” he said.
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