Son of Shoe Repairman, Graduates Summa Cum Laude

Another young man from Cebu City has proven that poverty should not be used as excuse not to live one’s dreams, especially when it comes to completing a college education. Despite poverty and being the son of a shoe repairman, 21-year-old Jireh Bautista graduates from college as summa cum laude!

Did you know that summa cum laude is the highest honor a college student could ever receive? Considering that they are so poor that his dad had plenty of struggles to feed the family and ensure they have a roof over their heads, the achievement is definitely amazing.

Bautista finished his secondary degree at Cebu City National Science High School (CCNSHS) and was awarded several scholarships so he could complete his college degree at Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT-U).

Photo credit: SunStar Philippines

Bautista is the fourth child of shoe repairman Pantaleon Bautista and his homemaker wife Belinda. Earning only about Php8,000 a month, the elder Bautista had to budget his money to pay for the rent (Php5,000) and utilities (Php2,000) while also ensuring there is food on the table.

It was a good thing all the Bautista children were intelligent and had received various scholarships from their respective schools.

Now that he has successfully completed his college degree with the highest honor possible, Bautista is set to receive a well-maintained second hand car from one of his sponsors, CCNSHS Batch 1977!

Bautista was also the recipient of scholarships from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Real Life Foundation of Victory Christian Fellowship, and Cebu City Government as well as being an academic scholar of CIT-U.

Ecstatic that his youngest child is graduating from college, the elder Bautista thanks the Lord as well as his son’s sponsors for the blessings the family received.

What is Summa Cum Laude?

Summa cum laude is the highest honor a college student can receive from the school. The Latin honor literally translates to “with highest honor” or “graduating with highest honor”.

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