A STUDENT from the Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS-SMC) was hailed as the grand winner of the JCI's 56th Most Outstanding High School Graduate (MOHSG) out of the 26 nominees from different public and private high schools in Davao City.
The MOHSG program has been the flagship program of JCI Davao for the past 55 years. It became a familiar avenue for high school students and academic practitioners to showcase their abilities and talents while helping JCI Davao members to hone their skills in leadership and project management.
Mary Grace U. Espino topped the 2023 MOHSG after a rigorous selection process that concluded with an impromptu speech of the Top 10 finalists held in the Abreeza Mall, Davao City on June 16.
During the impromptu speech segment, Espino was asked to give her thoughts on the question: As a servant leader, how do you balance the needs of others with your own goals and aspiration?
“To combine your aspiration and to amplify it to the community around you I think that is how we balance the responsibility. To balance out your wants and your needs, you would have to go back to very reason why you stepped into leadership, why you want to serve, why you want to help, and the very core of why you want to do the things you,” said Espino
“There are doctors out there who became doctors because they have sickened relatives. There are leaders who have seen the injustices of populations and communities around them and became leaders because of that,” Espino added.
Espino was a consistent Director's Lister from Grade 7 to Grade 12 and served as class president and now batch governor.
“I stand here today as a leader because I see the people around me. My fellow friends who are also leaders. My friends who are artists, singers, speakers. They empower me to where I am today. And my goal as leader is to inflict that onto others because the youth is truly the hope of the nation,” Espino said.
Espino has received the DOST-Youth Excellence in Science Award for winning international awards in DOST-SEI accredited contests in science and math since she was in third grade.
Some of her international distinctions were gold award in the Thailand International Mathematical Olympiad Final Round 2022, Gold Award in the 15th International Mathematics Competition (Singapore), and champion in the Math Competition of All About Indonesia.
The MOHSG project aims to recognize deserving high school graduates who demonstrate exemplary academic and extra-curricular achievements. This project is annually conducted in the light of inspiring the youth to aim for more beneficial endeavors and encourage them to aspire for excellence, instilling upon them that good deeds are often rewarded.
The nominees were evaluated through the following criteria: Scholastic Achievement 35% (based on the nominee’s scholastic portfolio), Project Proposal 20% (conceptualization and organization), and Skills 40% (composed of panel interview 15%, self-introduction 15%, and impromptu speaking 10%), and Participation in MOHSG Events 5%.
Teresa Pamela Soriano served as Espino’s coach. (Aries N. Oliveros, Philippine Science High School System)