Third-year legal management student and Lasallian Alliance of Youth Advocates for Equality (LAYA) founder and executive president, Reden Raz, claimed the top spot in the Ten Outstanding Junior College Students (TOJCS) of De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) streamed live on YouTube, June 26.
In his acceptance speech, Raz emphasized the role of youth in advocating change in the nation and how he can help in promulgating the message of active youth leadership and the involvement of youth in the community.
“Now that I see myself as a capable individual and that many people believe in me, I will pass the message of active youth leadership and involvement to other youth members of our community. As I believe that we are the hope of our nation, and our influence can drive us into creating the change we want to see,” Raz said.
Raz was also a speaker and a peer educator for the Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders and a champion of the Hult Prize on Campus.
Clinching the second spot was Vien Hannael Dimaculangan, a communication student and the Associate Editor of L Magazine.
Meanwhile, the third and fourth position was awarded to John Ryan Laygo, a psychology student and the vice-chairperson of Council of Student Organizations (CSO) PROF division, and Lileth Mortañez, an entrepreneurship student and Les Lasallian Lumieres executive chairman, respectively.
Trailing on the fifth spot was the Executive Vice President of Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA) and accountancy student Kathleen Grace Magsombol, while Arn Lowell Alinea, Lavoxa Online Editor-in-Chief and a communication student, claimed the sixth spot.
On the seventh spot was Sunshine Rivera, a legal management student and the executive vice-chairman of Les Lasallian Lumieres, and on the eighth spot was Frances Gayle Culla, psychology student and the CSO chairperson.
The ninth seat was filled by Jasmine Abigayle Pitogo, accountancy student and Lavoxa Tabloid Editor-in-Chief. In tenth was Jem Marvic Santos, a nursing student and the Lasallian League of Nurses President.
For this year, 140 students were nominated, but only 40 applicants completed, from which the top 20 finalists were selected.
The top 10 were selected based on their academic performance, participation in extracurricular activities, community service, and interviews with the selection committee.
TOJCS is an annual event held by the College of Students Activities Office (CSAO) to recognize DLSL junior students who portray the qualities of St. John Baptist De La Salle of academic performance, exemplary leadership, and exceptional community involvement.
