Leandro Bengzon, Maia Paterno, Luigi Villafuerte, Bianca Gotauco, Kirby Belmonte, Matt Sicat, Christine Gosioco, Danielle Limcaoco, Miguel Pratte, Enrico Po, Kerry Tinga

Graduating from high school marks the end of a young person’s comfort zone. It is a departure from years of familiar faces and surroundings—a firm nudge towards the less predictable, often more complex realm of collegiate education. For the fine lads and lasses of International School Manila’s Class of 2015, this is the next step in their journey towards self-actualisation. As they prime themselves to face what the future holds, these talented individuals disclose their hopes and ambitions, as well as the memories that they will forever cherish as they move forward in life.

DANIELLE LIMCAOCO

Limcaoco is the epitome of a true high school achiever. A valedictorian all through high school and recipient of the Moon Koo Lee Award, she successfully juggled her academic workload and her extracurricular activities, which explains her current roster of merits. A philanthropist in the making, she heads organisations such as Promoting Rural Education in the Philippines (PREP), a group that designs lesson plans for public schools in Tagaytay, and Libre-ry, an NGO that helps build libraries in Philippine orphanages. Though eager to experience the independence of college life, Limcaoco says she will sorely miss her teachers and friends when it is time to leave for university. “Some of the most inspiring people I’ve met were my teachers in high school. They not only fostered a love for learning, but also encouraged me to take risks and helped me face each task with confidence.” As for her tertiary studies, she prefers to keep her options open for now, but indicates Art History or Urban Studies at Stanford University in California as possibilities.

LEANDRO BENGZON

Bengzon sees himself working in the software development industry, ergo his decision to further his education within the hallowed halls of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Impressed by how the institution merges a favourable learning atmosphere with a friendly environment, Bengzon feels he will be able to perform well in his chosen field while simultaneously forging good relationships with his peers. “The programme I will be taking is very flexible. This flexibility will allow me to pursue other interests outside of the course.” Bengzon is also very much into music and sports. His high school band, The Shire, participated in ISM’s Battle of the Bands competition and placed first runner-up on one occasion. A huge basketball fan, Bengzon, together with his friends, put together and monitored a fantasy basketball league complete with a season run.

MATT SICAT

Sicat dreams of becoming a rock star. Conceding it is unrealistic, he is more than happy to follow in his father’s footsteps in the world of finance. He had, in fact, an early start. As president of International School Manila’s Investment Club, he simulated trading activities and even arranged field trips for his club members to learn more about the industry. Sicat also enjoys playing the drums and tennis. At the top of his most memorable high school moments were winning gold at a tennis tournament and placing second in Battle of the Bands in his final year. Sicat has been accepted at Brown University, but, having lived in Manila for most of his life, is sorry to leave his friends and family behind. At the same time, he is looking forward to a new beginning. “Although I’ve had many great opportunities to travel around the world, I think I’m most excited about living far from home. Even though I won’t be alone—my sister studies at Brown, too—I think it will be fun to be independent for the first time.”

CRISTIAN AYALA

A self-professed film buff and computer science aficionado, Ayala cites producing his first ever film from scratch as his biggest high school achievement to date. “I wrote, cast, and filmed the whole thing by myself. It was called Terrible, and, while it didn’t turn out as nicely as I wanted, I’m still proud of it.” Ayala’s efforts have paid off, for he is on his way to New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts to take up Film and TV Production. Formerly a member of the Bamboo Telegraph Video, the group behind the ISM’s news channel, he now dreams of becoming a film editor, whether it’s in a major production company or a small indie outfit. Ayala says he will miss his friends the most; to him, they have played a crucial role in helping shape the person he is today.

Kerry Tinga, Miguel Pratte, Christine Gosioco

LUCAS RAMOS

Stanford University-bound Ramos isn’t afraid to dream big. This computer science and engineering enthusiast envisions himself working for a tech company in Silicon Valley. His main focus, interestingly enough, has always been robotics. This particular interest kept him busy throughout high school; he joined competitions abroad and even took time out to teach children the basics through his workshop programme, Robotics for Kids. Despite having strong ties to his high school, he eagerly awaits the day when he can finally set foot on Stanford ground and make use of the school’s resources to further develop his knowledge in robotics. “Making it into Stanford has been one of my dreams for the longest time; it always looked like an impossible dream. Finally making it makes me extremely happy because all of the effort I put in has paid off.”

BIANCA GOTAUCO

For the moment, Gotuaco isn’t too concerned about what the future holds for her. She will be taking up Engineering Management Systems at the Columbia University in New York City, but is taking her time before coming up with a definite plan. “I honestly don’t know exactly what I want to be 10 years from now, but I hope to have a job that I will truly enjoy by then,” she says. In the meantime, she commits herself wholly to the Philippine National Archery team, which enabled her to take part in competitions such as the Youth Olympic Games and the South East Asian Games. What keeps her excited about moving forward with her studies is the prospect of endless adventures in New York City, where she feels she will never run out of things to do or people to meet up with.

Kirby Belmonte and Danielle Limcaoco

KERRY TINGA

Tinga has an ambitious 10-year plan that revolves around her intent to pursue a law degree. She will be attending classes at the University College London with hopes of specialising in either International Law or Intellectual Property Law. Her eagerness to represent the oppressed stems from being a member for four years of a service-oriented club at ISM that attends to the needs of at-risk youth. She is off to university away from home, but not for good. “Right after college, I see myself staying in London or any other big city for the sake of gaining experience; I want to be in the spotlight of the global and international scene. However, I will eventually return to the Philippines to take the bar and practise in my home country.”

MAIA PATERNO

Sports-loving Paterno was sidelined from playing softball and soccer for most of high school due to injuries. This break, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Paterno’s time away from the field allowed her to acquire an interest in taking a Sports Management course at her chosen college, the University of Texas. “Going through two years of ACL surgery and intensive physical therapy would have to win out as my most memorable experience in high school. Because of my medical condition, I never really got to experience travelling with a team and competing against schools from other countries. It was a very painful experience that really tested my mental, emotional, and physical strength, but it did help me realise my passion for the business side of sports.” Paterno now sees this as an opportunity to excel in a field she loves. Her intent is to acquire knowledge and skills in the United States before coming back to the Philippines as an expert who can help develop the country’s sports industry.

Leandro Bengzon, Matt Sicat, Enrico Po

CHRISTINE GOSIOCO

Gosioco spent most of her time in high school training as an athlete for the school’s cross-country and track and field teams. She will never forget the time she contracted the dengue virus while competing at the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) 3k meet. Regardless, she has put it behind her, and considers it a great honour to have competed with the best runners in the region. In addition, Gosioco headed the Cancer Awareness and Funding Association, and was a member of the school orchestra. Now, her new goal is to graduate from Harvard University with a major in Economics and a minor in Arabic. “After college, I hope to return to the Philippines to gain some work experience before moving on to earn an MBA. I want to eventually work in consultancy or business economics.”

KIRBY BELMONTE

Belmonte will take up Business, Entrepreneurship, and Organisations at Brown University. At ISM, he served as president of the American Culture Club and vice president of the Philippine Culture Club. Belmonte also did some philanthropic work outside of school. “I co-founded a micro-financing project that gave loans tounderprivileged entrepreneurial mothers.” Like many of his peers, he is particularly fond of looking back to his Battle of the Bands experience, where he earned, together with his band, the first runner-up prize. His long-standing enthusiasm for the NBA also has him harbouring ambitions of managing his own basketball team in the future.

Bianca Gotauco, Maia Paterno, Luigi Villafuerte

ENRICO PO

Adventurous by nature, Po is looking forward to exploring uncharted territories. He is steadily working towards becoming a well-rounded individual; he was able to gain work experience by temping in various industries. His true passions, however, lie in travel, current events, and culture. “In 10 years, I see myself somewhere exotic and unfamiliar, doing potentially dangerous work because that’s just the kind of person I am.” He will be attending Fordham University in New York City, but is still undecided as to what course he will be taking. Po is unafraid of leaving the comforts of Manila for the promise of personal growth opportunities abroad. Though he will miss the people he is close to, his thirst for adventure keeps him motivated to work towards his future.

MIGUEL PRATTE

Pratte is set on taking up Economics at City University London. He is looking forward to studying and living outside the country in hopes of learning new skills and widening his horizons. Though he will miss seeing his friends on a daily basis, he is excited about meeting new people and expanding his social circle. Pratte is determined to make a positive impact on the world with the work that he plans to do in the future. Together with Kirby Belmonte, he started a finance lending business with the intent of empowering struggling female entrepreneurs in accessing the lending facilities of banks. Looking back, Pratte wishes he could have managed his time better as a high school student. “I would have procrastinated significantly less and would have gotten more sleep. Moreover, I could have seized opportunities when they presented themselves.”

LUIGI VILLAFUERTE

Intent on a career in public service after graduating, Villafuerte is headed straight for New York University to pursue a double degree in Political Science and Economics. “My long-term plan is to stay in the United States for a few years to gain work experience and gather ideas that I could eventually implement back home. I want to make a positive impact in the lives of the people in Camarines Sur.” This former basketball varsity star and globally ranked wakeboarder is looking forward to living in one of the most famous cities in the world; to him, New York City is a true melting pot of ideas and cultural practices.

Lucas Ramos and Cristian Ayala

Printed in Philippine Tatler September 2015 issue. Available in all leading newsstands and bookstores. Download it on your digital device via Zinio, Magzter, and PressReader.