Janine defines her worth

CITY of BALANGA, Bataan – Now on its 11^th year, the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) was held in Cote d’Azur, France last August 21-30 in which representatives from chosen science high schools in the Philippines participated. One representative is Maria Janine L. Juachon from the Philippine Science High School – Central Luzon Campus who brought home a bronze medal from the said competition.

Maria Janine L. Juachon, a true blue Bataeña who resides in Doña Francisca Subdivision, Balanga City, is a 17 year-old girl who has a knack in the world of science. She is the second child of Jose and Marion, and the younger sister of his Kuya Philip who couldn’t be more proud of her achievements.

Being an achiever since the age of 3, enjoying subjects like Math and Journalism and graduating valedictorian in Elementary, and loving the world of Science now she’s in high school, it’s not impossible for her to have the spotlight that she is enjoying today.

IESO is an annual competition for senior high school students not more than 18 years old in the field of earth sciences including geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanology, terrestrial astronomy and environmental science. Four young Filipinos competed in this event together with 126 students from 29 different countries. The competition included tours, written and practical tests, International Team Field Investigation (ITFI), and Earth Science Project (ESP).

This is not the first time that Janine joined and won in an international competition, in fact she also won in the New York Times – Global Essay Competition held in Hong Kong, in the International Essay Writing Competition on Sustainable Living held in Dubai, and in the Asia Pacific Forum for the Science Talented held in Taiwan all when she was in Grade 10.

After winning in the recent competition, Janine is now preparing for University entrance exams in UP, Ateneo, DLSU, and UST. Since she is a science whiz, she eyes for courses in the field of science like Molecular Biology & Biotechnology and Geology.

“Only you could define your worth,” Janine said as to what her mantra in life is. As a teenager, you can’t pull her away from the addictive faces of social media that’s why like any other millennial, she enjoys browsing on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Also aside from indulging herself in books, she is also passionate in playing the flute. And like any other girls, she develops crushes on TV/social media personalities. She is also into learning Mandarin, probably because she likes Zhang Yixing, a Chinese movie star.

As someone who has an above-average intelligence, she doesn’t let others define what her true purpose and dreams in life are. As long as she enjoys her teenage years doing teenage things, and still excels very well in her chosen field, she is good to go. Only she could define her true worth in life, and that includes having the best of both worlds.

When asked about her career plans, she said she wants to join the academe and/or be a doctor – simply because she wants to be of help to others.

Carry on, Janine!