Engineering grad with 1.058 grade leads UPD’s best and brightest

Sunflowers provide a welcome sight on University Avenue in UP Diliman, Quezon City, where over 3,000 graduates will finally receive their diplomas this Sunday. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

A total of 36 students graduating summa cum laude will lead over 3,000 graduates of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, during its 106th General Commencement Exercises on Sunday.

Leading the honor students is Williard Joshua Jose of the College of Engineering with a weighted average grade of 1.058. He will obtain his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communications engineering.

Following Jose is another graduate with the same degree, Rangel Daroya, with an average grade of 1.074.

Summa cum laude, a Latin phrase which means “with the greatest honors,” is the state university’s highest academic distinction. Graduates must earn a weighted average grade of 1.20 or better.

The 36 honorees came from 10 academic units of UP’s four clusters, namely arts and letters, science and technology, social science and law, and management and economics.

The science and technology cluster accounted for the highest number of summa cum laude graduates with a total of 17 recipients from the College of Engineering, College of Science and School of Statistics.

On the other hand, the Asian Institute of Tourism and College of Human Kinetics will have their first summa cum laude graduates: Jennifer Rucio and Katherine Adrielle Bersola, respectively.

A well-known volleybelle, Bersola was the middle blocker of the UP Lady Maroons volleyball team where she also served as team captain.

A total of 2,968 students will receive their undergraduate degrees on Sunday while 588 others will get their graduate degrees. Of the figure, 1,231 will graduate with honors.