LUCHAVEZ (Contributed)
IT was a relationship goal.
When Micah Baculot Arceño topped the Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination in September 2015, he had hoped that his girlfriend Marina Melendres Luchavez would achieve the same feat in the examination this year.
And she did.
Luchavez, 22, a graduate of University of Cebu (UC) just like her boyfriend Arceño, ranked first in the examination held last March, the result of which was released last night by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
Luchavez got an average rating of 91.60 percent.
Two other topnotchers are also from UC. Neil Ivan Jon Buquing Domingo is in second place (91.15 percent) while Jay Rald Lawas Quiachon ranked fourth (88.85 percent). There were 1,645 examinees, but only 910 passed, the PRC said.
“Pray, pray, pray, pray. When you pray, you also need to do your part and that is to study and put in a lot of hard work,” the topnotcher told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.
Luchavez, a native of Barangay Tayud, Consolacion in northern Cebu, is the sixth of seven children.
She was inspired to take up mechanical engineering by her older brother Calixto Luchavez Jr. who also graduated with the same degree from UC and was the sixth placer in the 2006 board examination.
Last night, Luchavez and Arceño, also 22, were riding a public utility jeep from Bible Baptist Church in Katipunan, Cebu City when she received a call that she topped the examination.
Luchavez said her boyfriend helped her when she encountered difficult lessons during review.
“He also helped me on what to study and (taught me) time management,” she said.
Arceño and Luchavez got to know each other when they both joined UC’s Quiz Bowl team and participated in regional and national competitions. Arceño was the team captain in 2014. When he graduated, Luchavez took over as team captain.
They started their relationship after Arceño graduated. Luchavez graduated in October 2015 with academic excellence and second honors.
Like Arceño, Luchavez teaches part time at UC as a thermodynamics lecturer.