John Gabriel Pelias, a graduating summa cum laude student from the University of the Philippines have broken the former record of professor emeritus Emerenciana Yuvienco Arcellana. He obtained the highest general weighted average since World War II.
Pelias who had obtained a general weighted average (GWA) of 1.016, broke the former record of 1.03 set in 1948 by Arcellana. After four years in college wherein he received almost flat 1’s in all of his grades. He was valedictorian of his high school cl(–foul word(s) removed–) at the National College for Business and Arts (NCBA).
Meanwhile the highest GWA was made by Exequiel Sevilla who graduated with a degree in B.S. Commerce major in Business Administration, summa cum laude, in 1927. His GWA was flat 1.0 the highest ever.
Pelias was one of the graduating student of the prestigious University of the Philippines. He will be graduating with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Math. He will be graduating with the highest degree of Suma Cum Laude. After his graduation he wanted to teach in UP and give back to the school that enhanced his knowledge.
The current record-holder Pelias admits to himself that he is not at all spectacular it was just hard work and discipline that brought him into academic excellence. Students from the University of the Philippines was subsidized by the Philippine government hence they were called “iskolar ng bayan”.
John Gabriel Pelias give an inspiring message to the newly graduates and was quoted as saying “Do not get intimidated. I did not come from a prestigious high school when I entered college. Do not consider yourself inferior or superior. Just do your best”, he said in an interview with GMA News.
John Gabriel Pelias YouTube Video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PqKArjTJIY[/youtube]
With regards to the former GWA record of Emerenciana Yuvienco Arcellana of 1.193 in 1948, I don’t think this is the former record. I came across an article about Lawrence Ilag’s achievement of a GWA of 1.04 graduating with a BS in Biology summa cum laude. I think this makes his GWA the former record in the UP system.
I stand corrected. The GWA of Emerenciana Yuvienco Arcellana is 1.02 (not 1.193 as reported in the above article).
From an article in GMA7 website:
“Prof. Emerenciana Yuvienco Arcellana, Ph.D. — widow of the late National Artist in Poetry Francisco “Franz” Arcellana — had held the previous record with a GWA of 1.02 upon graduating in 1948. The closest anyone else got to her record was in 1982 when Dr. Gertrude Gwendale M. Baron, M.D. garnered a GWA of 1.03 graduating with a B.S. Biology degree — until Pelias came along.”
That makes Lawrence Ilag’s 1.04, maybe the fourth highest, my apologies.