It was never their childhood dream to be accountants when they became adults; Rica, JJ, and Kyrah had other dreams in mind.
Kyrah Shane Bathan Buhia was more attuned with the sciences, while Jenzel John “JJ” Montero Longno dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Rica Mae Opindo Albiso almost took up the STEM strand in senior high school, but switched to Accountancy, Business, and Management at the last minute.
As they chose their colleges, all three of them ended up in the same place that would eventually be their home for the next four years: the University of San Carlos School of Business and Economics (USC SBE).
All three of them graduated Magna Cum Laude—with Kyra at the top of the graduating class. This came with a mounting pressure to pass and ace the boards.
Kyra said: “It was extra pressure. I kept on thinking: ‘what if I don’t make it to the top?’ But then I told myself if I keep on overthinking these things, I’d be hindering my potential.”
JJ and Rica decided that they would just try their best as much as they could, regardless of the pressure surrounding them.
When asked about when their preparations for the boards started, they all said the same thing: It started in their first year in college and continued through the accumulated knowledge and learnings they gleaned from classes, projects, and competitions they won.
Dr. Melanie B. de Ocampo, Dean of SBE, said that this culture of excellence is a mindset that has been implemented by the USC SBE since it was first established.
“It’s just like having a dish. [You need] the right process, the right ingredients, constant intervention—if need be—and God,” de Ocampo shared.
On the day of the board exams, armed with everything that they’ve learned over the years, JJ, Rica, and Kyra braved the May 2023 Licensure Exam for Certified Public Accountants (Lecpa), not with ease but with courage and an unyielding drive.
And at the end of it all, JJ and Rica placed 6th, while Kyra placed 9th in the Lecpa. All three newly minted accountants and topnotchers have nothing but gratitude for USC for honing their skills and providing them with a second home that upholds excellence in every student.