NOW this is a truly inspirational story.
Here's an excerpt from the Philippine Daily Inquirer article on University of the Philippines-Diliman student Mikaela Irene Fudolig:
Mikaela said that at three, she already had a keen interest in science. She recalled enjoying the times her mother would take her to the UP Botanical Garden and point out to her the different plant families. “We also grew mongo seedlings and conducted small experiments. I was fascinated with how nature and science worked even back then,” she said.
how would a 16-year old girl become summa cum laude if an average 16-year old girl is only at 4th year high school??
truly impossible!!! :)
I bet, though she may have been shielded from the media, it is a common knowledge at NIP. This is something that make her special and possibility of special privilege is on it.
Based on some people, NIP has a special thing going on, am referring to those situation, where a student working for professor, and everything depends on the professor. If the professor has a lot of "foe's" then the student may not successful, if he is influential, then blessings come to the student.
On the other side of it, there is also a possibility that she may have been good at physics because of a lot of help/support, since she was experimental. Nonetheless, the real measure is not the grades, but the contribution she can make.
I don't want to do a mental pressure on her, but to test her publicly would be a good show.
Kudos to Mikaela! She's indeed an exceptional student. I've heard from a friend that she's really getting an excellent grade in UP from the very start of her schooling. It only concretized that gifted children like her can do well in normal environment with the proper support. Congratulations again Mikaela! =)
Congratulations to Mikaela! I could never imagine myself getting a 1.0 in math or physics. I've tasted all the grades in UP's scale. I got a 1.0 in PE, a 3.0 in organic chem and a 5.0 in calculus!
In Mikaela's case, of course her young age as a freshie has to be taken into consideration. After all studying at a big university where it is "sink or swim" would require a large measure of street smart intellectual maturity. That she graduated summa cum laude is more than enough proof she had what it takes. Whatever privileges she got should not be taken against her.
Probably she never did have to ask her prof for extra work for credit.
I wish her the best. We will have to see how she fares in a science career. She has a long way to go, a Masters, a PhD and a post-doc and several international publications. She will likely have to face her affairs of the heart and as a woman will have to decide how she can balance her career and her private life.
Even in the 21st century, women still have it a bit harder than men in science!
I heard another genious kid at her age here in the states. however he failed with his life. He wasnt able to adjust in real life after school. I wish this young UP graduate will be successfull in her adult life. There are also many bright students but because of financial hardships. they have to worked and study at college. So getting a summa cum laude is not really shows the ability of ones person. although they surely very smart people. how about the young man who have to struggle going to school he also brilliant but needs to worked harder than those who are wealthy families.
the problem with us filipinos, we can't appreciate other person's achievement. We always make negative comments without investigating firsthand if what was printed is accurately correct. Anyhow, congrats to mikaela. keep up the good work.
We have seen really a brilliant person from mathematical physics subjects to other non-physics courses.
On Mike's comment, that everything depends on the professor to be successful. I have not experienced this kind of treatment. The NIP's culture on research, where advisers and students work in a team transcending the usual student-teacher relationship, where all respect is commanded by the teacher. Advisers and students, at least for our group works as a big barkada. This eliminates fear and cultures confidence on the part of the student to have real discussions with advisers.
Back at the The Theoretical Physics Group, we have rules like, "finish or perish" were research problems are supposed to be finished so you can graduate and there is no option of getting a new topic if you fail. Of course, you have the option to change your adviser, if they will accept you. On our batch, it has been the practice that students depending their theses on march should first submit it to the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas and be accepted for presentation.
NIP have shielded Mikaela to media and have provided refuge so she can succeed.
Congrats mikaela.
Very intersting story about Mickaela. However, my question is: if she came from a poor family from a remote barrio, and does not have the financial means or the necessary connections, will the result be the same? Thanks
that's good. that's exceptional...i hope Mikaela will use her gifts for the good of the people, not to abuse it.
I've attended the 96th Commencement Exercises and she's really good! At a young age, she already knows what she's talking about. Amazingly, she have bested every single graduate from the University. It's truly an honor to have graduated with her. And to those people who couldn't accept that she's better than others despite her young age, well, boo-hoo...
I think she's rare special kid. Academic perse, this achievement of Miakela is really surprising. I just hope that this could be translated into more productive thisngs once she entered the real world of our country.
I'm sure Mikaela will contribute much to the Philippines. If she decides on a career as a scientist, her contribution to the Philippines will be in international scientific publications and the training of better scientists than herself.
Dear Mikaela,
Congratulations for all your achievements! I came from Philippine Science High during the time when Dr Esguerra's experience was still being discussed and evaluated by our mentors. You and ECPP finally pulled off the early university program perfectly, that initial Math 11 setback not being a hindrance, we're very happy it finally worked, and we hope it paves way for more Mikaelas to succeed.
We believe each batch of science scholars get a fair share of breaks and successes, it's nice to regard each other as unique, gifted and lucky in our own way. We had our own share of fun activities as well in full-time high school, e.g. the Int'l Math and Physics Olympiads.
There's a long route ahead of you, ma cherie: master's and PhD to pursue, students to teach, papers to publish, and Grand Unified Theory is still a dead end equation to date. :) Best wishes, you'll need lots of it!
Why can't others just be happy with other people's achievements? I am proud to see a Filipino excel in something he or she does. I am proud of Mikaela and I am sharing the news about her with my online overseas foreign friends.
dear mekaela,
i am proud and happy being a filipino of your achivements at your young mind, keep up the good work. we hope you will be our country's ambassador to science & math. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
mike,
you just insulted my university, and my institute. probably the reason why she was shielded from the media was to protect her from people like you, who are never pleased with other people's achievements.
One of the requirements of Mikaela's experimental placement is that teachers should not treat her differently from the rest of her classmates. It is very important that UP sees whether a student of her circumstances can survive on her own. Therefore, no special privileges were given to her during and after the 1-year experimental period.
The secret to her success is not her intelligence, which indicates her potential, but her perseverance and her love of learning. Please ask the people of CS Library and the Main Lib who their most frequent visitor is.
Her parents' own perseverance in their studies (and presumably their intelligence) should not be taken against her. They came to UP from the provinces, and armed with determination to succeed (like most in our generation), did make a comfortable life for their children.
Of interest: One of Mikaela's former high school scholars has a summa standing at the UP College of Engineering. I saw him once before as a hs freshman in yellowed uniform thinned by repeated washing and very old shoes, who read a book from the teacher's shelf as everyone else partied. Now that boy WILL go far.
Hello Hachiko, Did you really find IPhO and IMO fun? Were you ever part of the training pool or a memeber of an IPhO or IMO team?
From the Inquirer article and the post above it's clear much thought and planning took place in the 20+ years between Dr Esguerra's and Ms Fudolig's early placements, what a journey it must have been! Science scholars then and now do lean heavily on support systems to make things work out for them: family, friends, selfless instructors. Even the less well-to-do scholars get their share of allies who will help them at their hour of need.
Great job to whoever's affiliated with ECPP here. No doubt you've taken down lots of notes to ensure there will be more Mikaelas in the future. Thanks again. Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan!
Hi lipaddarnalipad, okay I confess having joined abroad in one of them. (and you can narrow down your list to a handful of us hehehe :D ) Sayang, IMO and IPO is strictly non-college, ECPP should have allowed Mikaela another year or two in QCSHS if only for her to taste the pain and glory of swimming against the all-star Chinese team! But anyway we let the child choose her own battles, so to speak. Thanks for asking.
I think the ECPP was right. Had she stayed an additional year or two, she probably would have obtained a bronze or honorable mention in IPhO. But IPhO training would have made the physics subjects in the first three years of the BS Physics cuririculum too easy for her. The nice thing about her early entry was it resulted in just the right balance - she got high grades but she still had to exert effort to get these high grades.
Congrats to Mikaela! I hope you'll use your gifts & talents for the good of the country. Are you a member of Mensa?Sana kasali ako sa Mensa pero di ako ganun katalino. T_T
mabuhay ka sampu ng mga taong nagtagumpay at magtatagumpay pa lamang sa kani-kanilang larangan.
ang hamon ng buhay ay wala sa loob ng silid aralan. ang pagsusulit ng pag-iral sa mundo ay hindi masusukat sa papel at lapis.
ito ang mga hamon na kakaharapin mo sa mga susunod na araw at taon. maging handa ka nawa sa bawat sandali katulad ng pagiging handa mo sa bawat oras sa panahon ng iyong pag-aaral.
hangad ko ang tagumpay mo hindi lamang bilang mag-aaral kundi pati na rin bilang TAO.
Mikaela is really gifted and make good about it. Keep up the good work Mikaela and I believe you can make big in your chosen field of science. God Bless you!
Congratulations to Mikaela! I hope you'll contribute something for the Filipinos. The greatest personalities in science like Albert Einstein and Michael Faraday were awed by the ordinary, the simple and the mundane things of the physical world. Search for your own which befits your gift.
PS.
Don't commit the same mistake that we did by going to grad school. Bart Simpson will laugh at you. (LOL)
mikki i luv u............. your so very beutiful.........
She is a gifted child, there are extraordinary kids like her too but there aren't much in this world. It's hard to believe specially when we hear it for the first time but such stories are true, completely true. Such children should be given all the opportunities where they can utilize their talent so that their brilliant brains can give something to this world.
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