Pinoy Student got accepted in 9 International Universities
Kim Navarro in Ang Pinoy Stories
Jun 25, 2020 • 3 min Read
“You’ve been through worse. Things will get better”
High school students somehow dream to get into a prestigious university. They study hard to up their chances of gaining entry to the usual target schools such as the University of the Philippines (UP), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and the likes. Admission to these universities is a challenge. It is assumed to be equally challenging, if not more, to gain entry to an international school. Meet the Pisay Caraga student who obtained admission to 9 universities abroad.
Marlon Giovanni O. Arezza is an 18-year-old student at Philippine Science High School – Caraga Region Campus. He is a junior member of The New York Academy of Sciences, Former President and Institution Rep at PSHS CRC Debate Society, and Former R13 Executive Vice-Chairperson at Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs. Aside from his org life, he has time to play instruments like guitar, drums, and ukulele.
His father is a businessman and civil engineer while his mother is a public-school nurse.
His childhood dream is to become an engineer and data scientist thus in his spare time he delves in data science.
He hails from Cantilan, Surigao del Sur but for the past 6 years, he’s been going to school in Butuan City. However, he must go to Davao, Cebu, or Manila to take a college entrance test or standardized test. The required time and travel can be cumbersome that he must forego some of the admission tests.
Regardless of some foregone admission tests, he gained admission to 9 international schools.
When asked how he did it, Marlon said, “I expected to have a good chance, but even then, I wouldn’t say I was completely sure that I could get in. I’ve read that applying to foreign universities as an international student is 2-3 times harder than for the local citizens of those countries. A mentor also told me that as internationals, there’s no guarantee to where we could get accepted.”
Yet, he passed in 9 university admissions abroad. His mantra is, “You’ve been through worse. Things will get better”.
Marlon’s story is here to inspire us that hard work makes the dream work. He also has a message to all his fellow young dreamers:
“Whether it’s applying to colleges locally or abroad, or with any major life decision, it’s normal to feel pressured and stressed. There will always be uncertainties and that’s what makes life scary, but also worth living. I think it’s just a matter of how you view those uncertainties; you can either see them as possibilities of failure and be scared, or as opportunities for self-growth and a more exciting future, and enthusiastically jump at the chance to make that your reality.”
Rejection is a part of everything we do, so instead of fearing it, take it as an opportunity to learn and grow. You’ll feel better if you view things in that light.
Congratulations, Marlon!
