Jonathan Bangayan, Valedictorian

On March 9, 2012, in the cold Audio Visual Room filled with nervous and excited fourth year students, the honors for the Stella Maris Academy of Davao (SMAD) graduating class of 2012 were announced. Through a video presentation, the awardees were shown, and each picture flashed is greeted with "Woaws," or "Yes!," or "Wows."

And then the most awaited came, the valedictorian award. For this school year, two got the most-coveted and perhaps the most difficult-to-get award: Jonathan Bangayan and Fredrich Nierra.

Both richly deserved the award, but I'd like to dwell more on Jonathan because the story of Jon, as we call Jonathan, is a remarkable one.

Perhaps six or seven years ago, nobody would have thought he'll be the class valedictorian. He was just not a shoo-in for the award. Jon is not your typical promising youth who was spotted early on, groomed until graduation, and awarded meritoriously. His is a story of determination, persistence, courage, and passion.

This is what I noticed about how most people write a biography of someone else. It usually begins with the first encounter of the writer and the subject---the circumstance, the atmosphere of the location, or the general mood. I will not succumb to the formula by writing where I first met Jonathan. Besides, I cannot recall anymore under what circumstance that I got to know that a Jonathan Bangayan exists in SMAD.

Back when he was in grade school, Jon was, in his words, a non-entity, almost unheard of. He never figured in contests or in any other school activities. His world was small. He had only few classmates whom he could consider as friends. He had barely involvements in activities outside the school. And he seemed to have gotten used to the grinding sameness of his school life.

Academically, Jon was not that slow. Far from it. But he was just not the top or the best in just about every subject. He even ranked 60th out of over a hundred students.

Despite the lackluster performance in grade school, Jon remained persistent, and showed that one's past does not define one's future, although for most of us we make it as our impetus to recreate ourselves and rise to greater heights.

Jon said it was his parents who prodded and encouraged him to excel and succeed. Jon had a low opinion of himself, but his parents showed him that there's more he could do and give. And succeed Jon did.

Jon started joining extra-curricular activities. He relished outreach activities as a way to widen his horizon. It's with this outreach that it dawned on him that there's another world besides his own---a world far harsher and meaner than his cocooned existence. He harnessed his speaking skills. He joined the Debating Team of the school. He tried hosting. He also tried courting a few girls (one or two), though Jon is so coy to admit it that he wouldn't openly talk about it and would rather brush the topic aside.

In short, he immersed himself in the hustle and bustle of high school life. And all his self-deconstructing and reconstructing effort culminated in third year high school when he ranked first among his batch-mates. For Jon, there's no way but up. So when he reached fourth year, he rose even higher---higher than most people expected.

And now, Jon is class valedictorian, together with Fred. Jon is also the candidate for the 2012 Most Outstanding High School Graduate.

Jon's story in a way mirrored my student life story. In high school, I was an underachiever. I belonged to the general section. In the hierarchy of sections in Davao City National High School, the general section is at the bottom-most tier. I flunked in one grading period in Chemistry. We loitered at the bilyaran or internetan.

And so, my high school classmates were surprised when I graduated cum laude in college.

"Unsa imo gikaon?" I was often asked.

Well, you can ask Jon the same question. I am sure his answer has nothing to do with food. It has everything to do with old-fashioned virtues of patience (which, by the way, is the section of Jon now) in times of frustrations, determination in times of failures, and faith in times of uncertainties.