PISAY ALUMNUS CAPS HIGH SCHOOL JOURNEY WITH NEARLY 500 AWARDS, EARNS OFFERS FROM TOP UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE

A graduate of Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Main Campus has capped off his high school journey with an extraordinary record of nearly 500 awards and recognitions in mathematics, science, English, writing, leadership, and international academic competitions, while overcoming personal challenges that could have easily derailed his academic journey.

Rhensis Lofamia completed his studies at PSHS Main Campus with High Honors, ending six years marked by exceptional academic achievement. His accomplishments include multiple gold medals in international Olympiads, perfect-score trophies in mathematics, science, and English competitions, a Top 10 Global Ambassador distinction in the Harvard Global Case Competition, and recognition in global essay, research, and leadership contests. He was also named to the Director’s List and received curricular and co-curricular awards in English and Technology.

What makes the achievement even more remarkable, according to his family, is that RB accomplished much of it while managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a chronic skin condition that at times disrupted his daily routine and studies. Despite these challenges, he continued to compete and excel at the national and international levels, earning distinctions across a wide range of academic disciplines.

Beyond academics, RB served as section editor of The Science Scholar, competed as a member of the Vox Debate Varsity, and held leadership roles in several student-led initiatives and national events. His accomplishments opened doors to some of the most competitive universities in the Philippines and abroad.

Among his university offers were a full scholarship to the BS Management Engineering Honors Program of Ateneo de Manila University, admission to BS Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines Diliman, a dual-degree program in Manufacturing Engineering and Management with specialization in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering at De La Salle University, and BS Biochemistry at the University of Santo Tomas. He was also awarded the DOST-SEI Merit Scholarship.

Internationally, RB received admission offers from the University of California San Diego, where he was awarded the Triton Scholars Award for Chemical Engineering; the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s College of Engineering; Purdue University’s College of Engineering; Virginia Tech’s Civil Engineering program; and UNSW Sydney’s Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Materials Science and Engineering.

His journey began when he qualified for PSHS in 2019 as a Principal Qualifier, placing among the Top 240 out of 30,986 examinees nationwide. Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic and the demands of balancing academics, competitions, and student life, he continued to excel, eventually building one of the most decorated academic records among his peers.

For his family, however, the nearly 500 awards tell only part of the story. They said they are most proud not of the medals and trophies, but of the resilience, humility, kindness, and perseverance he demonstrated throughout his years in school.

“Beyond the medals, awards, and recognitions, we witnessed his resilience, quiet strength, and ability to keep moving forward in his own way and at his own pace,” his family shared. “No matter how many awards he achieves, we will always be most proud of him for simply being himself.”