Kristine Andrea V. Nicasio is an 18-year-old student at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She is majoring in Communication Arts. When she graduates next year, she will have earned a bachelor’s degree.
Nicasio is a conscientious student, spending her free time reading novels and poetry, watching films, and drawing stickers.
Back in her grade school, Nicasio was an active student, participating in a lot of school activities like declamation and quiz contests and the school’s annual Ati-atihan festival.
She graduated with honors (3rd Honorable Mention) at Sto. Niño Parochial School.
At Quezon City Academy, where she attended high school, Nicasio continued to be participative, joining the school’s choir in her freshman year. She also became a part of Pabinhian, a student-teacher organization that aims to help students cope with academics.
In her sophomore year, she continued to hone her leadership skills by running for senator in the central student government—where she won, she was also part of the Bureau of Social Studies. Apart from that, she also joined Echo, the school paper.
Nicasio was voted section mayor – a position equivalent to that of a class President, when she was a junior in high school and during her senior year
In her last year, she was again voted as mayor and appointed as secretary of the Department of Health and Sanitation. And finally, she became Echo’s News Editor as well as the Bureau of Social Studies’ Director and assistant director for the Bureau of Science Studies.
She graduated with flying colors with the best mayor award in addition to the 8th Honorable Mention medal she went home with.
Nicasio took the UPCAT, the entrance exams for students desiring to matriculate at the State University that year and she was admitted to the university system’s Los Baños academic institution, the UP Los Baños. Since she is from Quezon City, she had to stay in a dormitory in the university town.
Being away from her family has helped her become independent. She has learned how to budget her allowance, and how to manage time wisely. She has also built friendships in the university and enjoys being exposed to a lot of things.
She admits that being in UP is difficult, but she keeps her optimism by facing the challenge head on. College she says allows her to learn a lot. She is striving hard to achieve that Honor and Excellence that every UP student works for.
She is currently a Speech Communication major because she believes that she is good at speaking. In fact she bagged 2nd place at their Speech Communication 102 poetry recital entitled, Mainstream: Pop goes Poetry where she was also the event head. There, they had to perform popular songs as poems.
Nicasio is also an Honorary Member of the Himig Makiling, an all UP Academic Employees Union’s cultural group. Just last semester, she was a part of a theatrical play entitled, Alindanaw. She was the Hair and Makeup Committee head, showing her talents in drawing and design.
She is also consistently in the university’s Honor Roll.
For her, college is really a special place not only for the exposure she gets but it helps her grow to be what she is today. More especially, because she has built priceless memories in her two-year stay at UPLB. From the delicious choco milk, amazing scenery, calm afternoons, to the hectic schedule and crazy deadlines, she loves everything in college.
“I am honored to have been chosen as SPEED’s first ever scholar. Meeting SPEED members where at first intimidating, being face to face with professionals who excel in their occupations. But, they are very nice and accommodating, she said.
She felt they trust her and she values that trust very well so she is inspired more than ever to study hard and make SPEED proud of her.
According to Nicasio, she feels “happy to have been given this opportunity. The scholarship will not only help me get through college but also in achieving my dreams of being a film maker someday. I thank SPEED for putting their confidence in me, please know that I will not let you down.”
Nicasio has been described by her peers as versatile and a healthy person because of her many talents and discipline in keeping a schedule. She will be a junior in the upcoming semester in August.
The Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors was formed in late last year. Known simply as SPEED, it consists of editors from various newspapers in Metro Manila (broadsheet and tabloid) to foster camaraderie and advance entertainment journalism in the Philippines.
Currently the officers are: Isah V. Red (Manila Standard), president; Eugene Asis (People’s Journal), 1st vice president; Jojo Panaligan (Manila Bulletin), 2nd vice president: Ian Fariñas (People’s Tonight), secretary; Geraldine Trillana (Malaya), assistant secretary; Salve Asis (Pilipino Star Ngayon and Pang Masa), treasurer; Maricris Nicasio (Hataw), assistant treasurer; and Dindo Balares, (Balita) and Dondon Sermino, (Abante), auditor.
Giving financial assistance to deserving students in mass communication, communication arts, journalism, or media studies is the first project of the group.
Kristine Andrea V. Nicasio is the daughter of the group’s Maricris Valdes Nicasio.— IVR
photos: sonny espiritu