Kim Roxan Onda Arong, 9th place
Every Sunday since June, she skipped breakfast.
Fasting was her way of reinforcing prayers that she would do well in the national exams that would bring her closer to her goal of being a teacher.
Kim Roxan Onda Arong , 21, of Lapu-Lapu City was thrilled to learn yesterday that she placed ninth in the 2015 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) for the elementary division.
She was one of six Cebu graduates in the top ten in results released by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board for Professional Teachers (BPT).
The six topnotchers came from the University of Cebu, Cebu Institute of Technology, Southwestern University, and University of the Philippines Cebu
A total of 12,103 elementary teachers out of 44,144 examinees and 17,904 secondary teachers out of 56,596 examinees passed the examination given last March 29.
Arong, who graduated from UC Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue last October 2014 got a score of 86.6 percent
Diligent review and her religious faith played big roles in her achievement, said Arong, a resident of sitio Soong, Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City.
As a member of a Born Again Christian group, Arong said she read the Bible and inspirational books daily. She also went to church every Sunday morning, Wednesday night and Friday night.
“All the glory and honor belong to Him,” Arong said.
Money was tight in college, she recalled. Sometimes she would give promissory notes to the school administration to be allowed to take exams because she couldn’t pay tuition on time.
Her family had to borrow money for school fees. Her father is a real estate agent while her mother is a homemaker.
Arong, the youngest of three children, was the class valedictorian in Soong Elementary School and had high marks in Mactan National High School.
In college, Arong said she had average grades “but God gave me an extra-ordinary achievement” with the board results.
Arong said she wants to apply for a teaching job and at the same time take a master’s degree.
To serve as a teacher, she said, was to pursue the noblest profession.
Arong and another graduate from the University of Cebu Main campus, Elmar Ugdoracion Lim, who placed 10th in the secondary division will get a monetary award from the school, said UC owner Augusto Go.
Go said he was happy to see the university producing outstanding achievers in the College of Law, aside from topnotchers in the Bar exams of law and the board exams for Certified Public Accountants.