By Arabella Asis
Filipino high school students Carl Audric Guia and Aryenne Ysabelle became the first public school students to attend Harvard College with a full-ride scholarship.
“We’re Harvard-bound!” Guia announced in a Facebook post last April 30, tagging Ysabelle as well.
Stemming from the University of the Philippines Rural High School in Los Baños, Laguna, Guia received offers from Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, and Notre Dame.
Meanwhile, Ysabelle from Compostela National High School was accepted to Harvard, Princeton, and Amherst.
“This privilege is something we never dared to imagine. We both used to pray for just one school to accept us, but we’ve been faced with overwhelming offers from the Ivy League and more,” Guia shared in the post.
The duo spent most of April collecting advice from peers, alumni, and mentorship from CAUSE Philippines.
The pair decided to commit after attending the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global, where they “felt a deep sense of belonging.”
The pair extended their gratitude to all the people that guided them in their journey
“As the first students from a Filipino public school to attend Harvard College, we raise our flag proudly. Go Crimsons! ” Guia wrote. – gb
