Christian Nazarene D. Magcawas, class valedictorian and summa cum laude of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, urged government agencies to support more students in need, saying education should no longer be a “test of survival.
Magcawas, who graduated with a general average of 3.964 and ranked first among both his batch and the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (SHRIM), shared his story during the second term graduation rites of Batch 2025. He recalled struggling through financial hardship, scholarship rejections, and family setbacks before earning his degree as a Pierre Romançon Grant scholar.
“Behind the 3.964 were nights of fear and days of survival,” he said. “Three scholarship rejections, a robbery, a flooded home, a failed once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the constant fear of losing my education.”
The 22-year-old student leader—who also worked part-time while studying—paid just ₱50 for tuition during his time at De La Salle Lipa. He swept classrooms and painted walls in exchange. When the pandemic hit, he sold vegetables and poultry to help his family after they lost their small grocery.
Magcawas recalled nearly backing out of Benilde in 2021 after receiving only a partial scholarship and being rejected by other institutions. He secretly sent an acceptance email, and the risk paid off.
“I may not be the brightest, but I hope I’ve made you proud for choosing me,” he said.
Magcawas credited his mother—a high school dropout who gave up her education to support her family—as the inspiration behind his achievements. “She once told a young boy in Lipa about De La Salle, believing it could change lives. Today, she has a college graduate.”
He questioned why students from marginalized backgrounds still struggle to finish school. “Why do these stories stand out? Because they’re rare,” he said. “Education should be a right, not a luxury.”
Addressing the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), he urged reforms that go beyond grades: “Support must reach those who fight silent battles. Let’s stop asking the youth if they want to study. The answer is always yes. The better question is, can they?”
Magcawas closed his address by reminding fellow graduates that education is the great equalizer: “Move your mountain, even if it’s slow. Because your story matters.”
