From ‘saling pusa’ to summa cum laude

Four years ago, Arman Ali Ghodsinia applied for a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and biotechnology (MBB) at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

He didn’t make it.

The rejection did not deter Ghodsinia, who wrote letters, expressing his interest in the course and his intent to shoulder the heavy academic workload that came with it.

“Honestly, I was only saling pusa,” he recalled, using local term for kids joining games of grown-ups.

“I was with really intelligent students, so I had to work and study extra hard,” he added.

On Sunday, the saling pusa will receive his dream degree, finishing summa cum laude and valedictorian of his MBB class with a weighted average grade of 1.173.

Moreover, the 22-year-old will deliver the valedictory address to 3,000 graduates during the university’s 106th general commencement exercises.

Marawi roots

With roots in Marawi City, under terrorist siege for nearly a month now, Ghodsinia wants his valedictory speech to be a message of hope, of empathy and solidarity amid the turmoil at home.

“I’m not the type of guy who really likes to speak,” he told the Inquirer. Despite his admitted introversion, Ghodsinia said with the developments in Mindanao, he felt drawn to having his thoughts heard.

His mother, Mariam Alonto Ali, grew up in Lanao del Sur province, spending a big part of her life in Marawi.

“Just like most Maranaos, she went to Manila to find better opportunities,” he said. “She also spent a decade as an overseas worker in Saudi Arabia.”

Arman Ali Ghodsinia —EDWIN BACASMAS

Born in Metro Manila

In the 1970s, Behrouz Ghodsinia, who was born and raised in Iran, arrived in the Philippines as a student. Here, he met Mariam and struck a connection with their similar business sense. Behrouz later became a naturalized Filipino citizen and the couple was blessed with three children—Arman being the youngest.

The three Ghodsinia children were born and raised in Metro Manila. In his younger years, Arman studied at Our Lord’s Grace Montessori, La Salle Green Hills and Ateneo Grade School.

He went to Philippine Science High School, where he was active in sports, playing for the school’s basketball team.

At UP, Ghodsinia’s performance showed that he deserved his spot on the MBB roster. Last year, he received the Ed Padlan Award for academic excellence, given to top senior MBB undergraduates.

He also was accepted as an early apprentice in the Disease Molecular Biology and Epigenetics Laboratory under the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.

His work on cancer research won first prize during the Young Scientists Forum in December 2016.

Graduate studies abroad

Ghodsinia plans to continue research and pursue graduate studies abroad. But he has his eyes set on returning to the Philippines to give back to the Filipino people.

“My dream is that in the future, the Philippines would be the place to go to for scientific study and research,” he said. “But there is so much more that we should work and improve on.”

For now, the bigger task  is to leave a lasting impression to his fellow graduates on Sunday. Ghodsinia said his speech would feature a rousing call for his fellow Iskolar ng Bayan to never forget Marawi and Mindanao and for solidarity among Filipinos.

“Given this chance to speak about something very special, I feel very honored and feel some sort of responsibility to make the most out of it,” he said.

Despite having little memory of Marawi, Ghodsinia  felt a connection to his Maranao brothers and sisters, whom he described as very familial.

“It is painful to see the reaction of my mother and relatives to Marawi being torn apart,” he said. “I’m sure I have relatives there that I’ve never met but may still be in trouble.”

Empathy as theme

This year’s commencement theme is pagmamalasakit, or empathy. Ghodsinia expressed hope that his message would be his own contribution to solidarity and peace in the country.

“I call on my fellow graduates that—whatever advocacy you may have—never forget that you wouldn’t have been able to achieve your success without the Filipino people,” he said. “We should give back to them.”

To his Maranao brothers and sisters, he expressed hope that they would remain strong and united despite the fighting. “Please don’t think that we have forgotten you,” he said. “We remember you, and we support you.”