Illustration by Rumiel Casanova.
Before Colegio de San de Juan de Letran reach its quadricentennial on 2020, it has now produced a first placer in a board examinations – a first since its establishment in 1620.
His name is Melvin Bernardino. He led the recent Nutritionist-Dietitian board examinations; outshining other schools with his 90.40 percent passing score. Together with him to bring the bacon are the other Letran takers of the ND exams achieving a perfect passing rate.
To follow this feat, the Colegio produced its first topnotcher in the Electrical Engineering examinations. The Batch 2018 Summa Cum Laude Eljohn Capili placed second in the August EE exams. Letran also achieved a 100 percent passing rate.
The Los Primeros (topnotchers) obviously deserved to be at the pedestal after switching the light to give the Colegio an exceptional pride that radiated across the archipelago.
In the Colegio’s setting the academic achievement proved that we do not only collect championship trophies in sports, we can also achieve greater heights in the academics.
However, similar to a literal light bulb, the Colegio will outgrow its shine if Letranites will not work its way to make it luminous.
This takes us back to the homily of Vice President for Religious Affairs Rev. Fr. John Stephen Besa, O.P. that urged us, students, faculty members, and administrators to give light to the Colegio in our own possible means. The Dominican priest even dubbed he’s call for action as the “Letran Ilaw Challenge.”
Like any challenge that has reached the virality and trend, the only time that we could pronounce that Letranites took part in the challenge is when each and every one took their part in reaching the pedestal.
The back-to-back topnotchers may have received much fanfare, yet, we should all be reminded that fame does not measure our accomplishment to help maintain the brightness of the bulb that they have turned on.
Let’s us start the challenge but shying away from darkness – but then we are slowly towards giving light to the Colegio.
The recent triumph should lead us Letranites our way to be extolled in excelling successfully.
The light now shimmers and our task is not to lose momentum. To do so, The LANCE urge the students to showcase their prowess in their chosen field of endeavors, the faculty members to excel in sharing their wisdom and knowledge to the future of our nation, the administrators to be in the forefront in providing quality education and competent services, and the alumni to continue upholding the qualities of a Letranite whomever they may become and wherever they may sojourn.
Once, all of these are achieved, the tradition of excelling must not whimper as the Colegio continues to ushers in the new generation of Letranites. What we to today, will help secure what will take place in the future.
Together as Letranites, as we face and go beyond Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s quadricentennial, let’s keep the light luminous – keeping the people’s heads turning -- throughout the country and the world.