MANILA, Philippines — Former UP volleybelle Kathy Bersola was ecstatic about the announcement of three summa cum laude graduating from the UP College of Human Kinetics (CHK) this year.
Anna Michaella Dela Cruz, Lea Andrei San Juan and Aaron Cris Vega are three Bachelor in Sports Science students who are among the 54 summa cum laude graduates this academic year.
They were all preceded by Bersola who was the first ever student from CHK to have earned the coveted merit. She then went on to study medicine in UP Manila and has already finished two years of med proper.
“Ngayon? Ngayong year? Tatlo? Oh, ‘yung mga bata ah,” the former Lady Maroons team captain exclaimed when told about the three.
When asked about how she felt with the jump in graduates with honors, Bersola expressed joy about its implications on her college’s image.
“Sobrang saya kasi siyempre sobrang stereotype talaga yung taga-CHK na... automatic ‘pag nakita ka ng mga people from other colleges, ‘pag sinabi mong taga-CHK ka, ‘ah athlete, ano yan, jock stereotype,’ kahit na hindi naman talaga,” Bersola said.
Bersola is pleased with the development and how it can change the perception of students from the college.
“Sobrang saya na nababago na unti-unti yung tingin sa mga student athletes sa college... Especially, UP yun ‘di ba?” Bersola said.
Like Bersola, Dela Cruz, San Juan and Vega have all been qualified for the interview for admission in UP Manila’s College of Medicine.
In a Facebook post yesterday, UP Diliman’s official page named 54 students who will graduate with the highest latin honors this coming June 30.
This is a far cry from the 2018 graduating class who boasted 29 summa cum laudes, with only Bachelor of Sports Science Sean Patrick Grageda hailing from Bersola’s college. — Gab Alicaya