by Mae Janica Palkit
Baguio City officials acclaimed and commended nine Saint Louis University (SLU) Junior High School students for winning the Best Completer Finisher Award at the 2nd Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Science Olympiad held in Penang, Malaysia.
Last March 2023, the Louisians—Paul Gabriel Bautista, Greysean Ngolab, Rayne Earl Diaron, Jamie Espejo, Erin Shane Gumanlaw, Yuhan Nayri Padsoyan, Lyndsay Avy Malibiran, Danielle Thereze Amansec, and Lara Annika Paula Namoca—competed against over 200 students from 11 Southeast Asian countries in the four-day event, which included science and math competitions such as a quiz bee, a STEM challenge, and a pitching challenge.
In a resolution, local legislators stated that the students’ incredible performance is “worthy of praise and appreciation” and “should serve as an inspiration to other students to excel more and do better in their respective fields of expertise even at a young age.”
The resolution also praised SLU for providing the students with a quality education that enabled them to succeed at the international level. The students’ accomplishment is “a testament to the quality of education being provided by the city’s various public and private educational institutions, which truly makes the entire Louisan community and the people of the city proud.”
The SEAMEO Science Olympiad 2023 is a unique opportunity for future scientists and science educators from Southeast Asia and beyond to be inspired and to learn about science. It aims to stimulate students’ scientific thinking and knowledge exploration by challenging them to apply their knowledge to real-world technological problems, such as those related to sustainable development.
