Cebuana LET topnotcher plans to do volunteer teaching works 

Maricris Colipano. | contributed photo

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu- The topnotcher in the Licensure Examination for Teacher (LET) elementary level who is a graduate of the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Carmen Campus said she plans to become a volunteer teacher while waiting for an opportunity to teach in a public school.

Maricris Colipano, 26 years old, topped the March 2022 teachers board exam, leading eight Cebu graduates on the Top 10 list.

The results were released last Friday night, April 29, 2022.

READ: CTU grad tops LET elem level exam; 7 others from Cebu schools in Top 10

“Ako sad gyung pangandoy kung makapasar ko nga mag-volunteer teacher bitaw sir. Kay nakasuway man ko ug ingon ana sir pag-fourth year nako ba. Nindot baya pod sa feeling nga makatabang sa mga bata ba nga dili kaayo ganahan mo-eskwela,” said Colipano, who graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) degree in CTU in May 2019.

(My wish if I’d pass is to be a volunteer teacher. Because I was able to try doing that when I was on my fourth year in school. It’s a nice feeling to be able to help children who are not really not interested in school.)

Colipano, who is from Barangay Upper Natimao-an in Carmen, Cebu, admitted that she already received job offers from her school and the review center where she enrolled. She added that her alma mater also promised to give her monetary reward for topping the exam with a rating of 92.40 percent

Daughter of a farmer and barangay health worker

Colipano has had an interesting journey.

She said that before the examination, she only participated in online coaching at her review center and had to do with just reading her reviewers. She also banked on just watching online coaching on YouTube.

Her father is a farmer, while her mother is a Barangay Health Worker in Barangay Upper Natimao-an in the town of Carmen, Cebu, which is around 42 kilometers from Cebu City.

After she finished high school, Colipano said she worked first as a babysitter and worked in a company in Danao City, also in northern Cebu, at the age of 18.

Colipano only enrolled in college when she was 19 in 2016. She graduated cum laude in May 2019.

Learning about the results

Colipano said  she only knew about being the topnotcher of the LET exam from her younger sister.

“Ako gud dili man gud ko hilig anang Facebook ba, so wala gyud ko kabaw nga niadtong Biyernes ang resulta. Nag-online man akong manghod nya gi-chattan man siya sa akong classmate,” Colipano said.

(I am really not fond of Facebook so I really didn’t know that the results came out on Friday. My sister went online and it was only then we knew because my classmate sent her a message.)

She said that at first, she didn’t believe that she topped the examination until she saw the result from her sister’s social media account.

“Pwerte nakong lipaya sir,” she said, adding that she taught that the result would come out on May 6 yet.

(I was so happy sir.)

Colipano emerged as the topnotcher of the exam conducted on March 27, 2022. She outshined more than 20,000 takers in the said examination.

The others Cebu passers are Lucille Dejos of the Talisay City College (3rd); Jomar Manada  of the University of Cebu (5th); Glenmer Redido  of CTU, Moalboal (6th); Khuenalyn Ricardo of CTU, Moalboal (7th); Dominique Marie Pauline Policios of the University of San Carlos (9th); and Kim Verlie Pianiar of CTU Main Campus (10th).

/bmjo