THE ATENEO lauded outstanding students and their works through Paghahandog: A Celebration of Student Leadership and Service, held on May 6 at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall Auditorium of the Loyola Schools (LS).
The awarding ceremonies recognized students who showed excellence in leadership, research, as well as socio-civic service.
The awards had four categories: Ateneo Socio-Civic Engagement for National Development (ASCEND) Awards, Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA) Awards, LS Awards for Sports and Loyola Schools Awards for Leadership and Service (LSALS).
Mens sana in corpore sano
The FAST Ateneo Swimming Team dominated the LS Awards for Sports. These awards are bestowed upon student-athletes who embody the principle mens sana in corpore sano–a sound mind in a sound body.
Jose Gio Palencia was hailed as the Ambrosio Padilla Athlete of the Year while Hannah Dato and Jessie Lacuna received The GUIDON–Moro Lorenzo Awards as Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year, respectively.
Lacuna, who is currently training in New Zealand for the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics said, “Honestly, I really didn’t expect to win the award, [because] I know a lot of student-athletes who really did well during the season.”
He also shared how the award was able to boost his morale as a student-athlete, especially as one who is competing overseas this August.
“It’s more on I can do more, I can do better, [I can] strive for the greatness,’’ he shared.
Lacuna was not able to receive his award personally during the awarding ceremonies, but he was able to express his gratitude through a video message.
“Maraming maraming salamat po (Thank you very much),” he said. “Mabuhay ang atletang Pilipino (Long live the Filipino athlete).”
Ateneans for others
COA also gave awards to organizations that exemplified excellence and oneness among the other organizations in the university under three categories: Project of the Year, Executive Board of the Year and Organization of the Year, and Leader of the Year.
Project of the Year was given to “SPEED Disability Awareness Week” by the Ateneo Special Education Society (SPEED). Ateneo Mathematics Society President Camille Dee won Leader of the Year, while the Executive Board of the Year and Organization of the Year awards were given to Kythe-Ateneo.
The ASCEND awards were given to students whose works, theses, and research papers manifested social concern and involvement, and thrust for sustainable development.
The ASCEND awards were given under three categories: Individual Research in Graduate Category, Individual Research in Senior Category, and Group Research in Senior Category.
The finalist for Individual Research in the Graduate Category was computer science student John Noel Victorino for his work titled “Automated Validation of a Model on Measuring Correlates of Crowdsourced Fund Reports.” Information design senior Danielle Villanueva was a finalist for the Individual Research in Senior Category for “Breast Buddy.”
Two finalists emerged for the Group Research in Senior Category, namely “A Case Study on the Philippine Government’s Disaster Response after Typhoon Haiyan for the Indigenous Mangyan-Alangan Community in Sitio Longgani, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro” by health sciences seniors Rozelle De Leon, David Garcia, Jesha Gregorio, Angelie Maglasang, Priolo Opelanio, and Will Rosario.
Their co-finalist was “Silo Footwear” by management seniors Michelle Lim, Cesca Manotok, Julienne Munoz, Mariana Villanueva, and Tiffany Uy.
The ASCEND Excellence Award was given to Danielle Villanueva for “Breast Buddy,” a kit designed to inform the public, especially women about breast cancer in the Philippines.
In an interview with The GUIDON, Villanueva said that “as an adult and [soon-to-be] graduate, [my goal] is to actually make sure that this project gets to the community that I targeted,” referring to women of low socio-economic classes.
She also mentioned that she wants to “sell the plans to the government or to any agency that’s willing to promote it” after she graduates.
Villanueva also stressed the importance of good design, considering that her thesis “just shows how effective design and science [are] if put together.”
“We need small initiatives like this to actually cater to bigger problems, and I really hope that this thesis not only pushes through but also inspires others to do just [like] that,” she said.
Meanwhile, the LSALS recognized exemplary students who demonstrated utmost passion in their respective fields and gave remarkable contributions to the university. They were given under three categories: Most Outstanding Project, Most Outstanding Student Group, and Most Outstanding Individual.
Habi was proclaimed this year’s Most Outstanding Project. It is a collaborative literary collection written by Heights’ partners from other Jesuit universities, namely Ateneo de Davao, Ateneo de Naga, Ateneo de Zamboanga, and Xavier University.
“Habi is basically a call for unity amidst diversity,” said Heights Editor-in-Chief Regine Cabato. “It’s a criticism of a kind of regionalism that is divisive.”
Kythe-Ateneo then bagged its third award from the ceremony as Most Outstanding Student Group, while Heights received a special citation for “the organization’s outstanding contribution to the university’s goal of cultural rootedness by initiating projects that promote the art and literature of various Philippine regions and social sectors,” according to Associate Dean for Student Formation Roberto Guevarra.
Mathematical finance senior Daniel Benito was recognized as this year’s Most Outstanding Individual, while management senior and Kythe-Ateneo President Jamia Amin received a special citation.
As for her special citation and her organization’s multiple awards, Amin shared how they were indeed unexpected and yet act as a testament to their work as an organization and with regard to their advocacy.
As a graduating student, Amin also mentioned how the recognition impacted her as someone who is now going down the hill.
“The impact on me as a graduating student is it’s a constant challenge for me to go beyond the recognition and to actually do more,” she said. “What I see about an Atenean education is its constant challenge for everyone, to stay true to oneself through service for others.”
