Nina Patricia Cesar is declared 1st Year Most Outstanding Student in this year’s Gawad Parangal. Facebook Photo by Allyster Astronomo

“Every journey starts with a single step.”

Wrought with motivation to do her very best and to excel, all of Nina Patricia Cesar’s hard work paid off when she was awarded the Most Outstanding First Year Student for SY 2014-2015 last Friday, Sept. 16.

As an active member of the school, she is a former Atenews member, a former Samahan Ad Hoc committee volunteer, a member of the youth council, and a member of the Ateneo Debate Varsity.

She graduated from Davao Christian High School as her batch’s second honorable mention, and is presently a second year accountancy student in the university.

On balancing her extracurricular affairs and her academics, she says, “First off, kailangan pursigido ka. And you need to find your passion in your academics, learn to set your priorities, and everything else will follow.”

“It’s not about having the award or the recognition. It’s about being able to learn.”

When asked what drives her to excel, she said that, “It’s about getting something from what you do, not the material things, but the experiences, and the lessons you can permanently imbue within yourself.”