Science Star
A scholar, scientist, math whiz, author, international science superstar—all of these hyphenates in one small 19-year-old package
A scholar, scientist, math whiz, author, international science superstar — all of these hyphenates in one small 19-year-old package
Aim to change the world so if you don’t quite achieve it, you would’ve already changed a small part of the world—and that is already something worth celebrating.
Hailing from Abuyog, Leyte, Hillary Diane Andales, who recently turned 19 this August, was already excelling in her academics at the Philippines Science High School – Eastern Visayas Campus (PSHS-EVC), for one, winning the Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge, for 10 years straight (starting in first grade), then authoring Math Quizzer, a math book aimed for Grade 5 and 6 students.
She was further put on the spotlight by winning the Breakthrough Junior Challenge 2017, a worldwide science video competition where students between 13 and 18 years old explain fundamental concepts in science, physics, and math. She bested 11,000 other students from 178 countries. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge awarding ceremonies were held at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.
Her video explanation on the concept of relativity and the equivalence of reference frame, won her scholarship worth up to $250,000, a new science laboratory valued at US$100,000 for her school, designed by and in partnership with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and an- other $50,000 for the science teacher who helped her.
She graduated from PSHS-EVC last May 2018. Her next step is university and has already gained admission to UP Diliman with an Oblation Scholarship, Ateneo de Manila University with a Merit Scholarship, and De La Salle University with an Archer Achiever Scholarship.
“But because of the $250,000 scholarship prize, my plans suddenly changed. In order to maximize the scholarship, I decided to apply to the US for college. With God’s grace, I got accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, and SUNY Stony Brook,” Hillary shared on her Facebook account.
“As for now, I’m currently on a gap year. Instead of starting college next month, I’ll be starting in August 2019 which means I have a whole year to explore my interests and do a lot of self-learning,” she added.
Manila Bulletin sat with this science whiz and asked a couple of questions.
What are you planning to do now?
I’m currently on a gap year, so I’ll be out of school for a year. This year, I’m planning to do a lot of self-studying and personal projects. Then in 2019, I’m going to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for college! There, I might major in Physics. How can a young Waray like you give back to the region (Eastern Visayas)?
I’ve always been passionate about education and I think it’s extremely important for society. In high school, I organized regional math competitions and science camps aiming to spark greater appreciation for STEM, and more important, education. These events have benefited some 500 students and teachers, so far.
Someday, I hope to do bigger things for education, not just in the region, but in the entire Philippines. I don’t exactly know how I’ll do that now, but I hope I can improve the condition of education in our country.
Also, as an aspiring scientist, I hope to elevate the status of science in Filipino society. I see many Filipinos who do not appreciate science. Now, I’m trying to get more people to see the beauty of science through my work on science communication. I want them to understand that science is essential in society, that it is the reason we have the internet and our smartphones. Someday, I also hope to reach millions with my science communication work.
What can you say to young students out there who want to do well or achieve more?
First of all, dream big! Set big goals and commit to them! I know so many people who don’t dare to dream big. We usually have the mentality of mediocrity where we tend to say, “Ah, anong gamit ng achievement? Makuntento na tayo sa ganitong buhay (What are achievements for? Let’s be content with the life we have).” I want everyone to stop that culture of “contentment” because it makes us settle for the mediocre. We should always strive for greater things while being appreciative of what we already have. I encourage everyone to dream at a global scale. Say things like, “I’m going to make it big in the world.” My motto is always, “Shoot for the moon so if you fail you’ll land among the stars.” So, set big goals! Aim for the first place. So if you fail, you’ll land on the third, which is already good. Aim to change the world so if you don’t quite achieve it, you would’ve already changed a small part of the world—and that is already something worth celebrating.
Another advice I have is to use the internet better. The internet is a wonderful resource. You can use it to study or to connect with people who are also achievers. Don’t use it solely for social media because it has much more to offer.