Many admired Jean Ella Marie Taruc Razon, a 23-year-old from San Agustin, San Luis, Pampanga, after she ranked first in the Physical Therapy Licensure Examination.
Razon, a cum laude graduate of the University of the Philippines Manila Campus, achieved a rating of 88.05% in the said exam.
In an interview with PEP, Razon shared that not only her family and relatives are proud of her, but also the entire community. They never imagined that the topnotcher of the Physical Therapy Licensure Examination would come from a province where students have to take a boat just to get to school.
Because of the honor she brought to their village, Jean received a reward of 50,000 pesos from their local government unit.
Jean shared that she has been interested in medical topics since she was young, thanks to watching TV shows like House MD and Grey’s Anatomy with her older sister. This interest led her to pursue Physical Therapy.
However, she realized that what she thought was a “cool” field was not so cool after all. There were times when she cried upon seeing the requirements she had to submit for her courses. Adding to the pressure was studying at UP, where everyone knows the high expectations placed on students.
But she said that all the sacrifices and hardships, including those of her parents, were worth it when she graduated cum laude and passed the licensure exam with flying colors.
"Mostly po sa section namin ay valedictorians and salutatorians nung high school, pero nung nag-UP po, pare-pareho kaming umiiyak sa hirap,” she said.
“Minsan kape, milk tea at pancit canton na lang po ‘yong bumubuhay sa amin. At minsan po, idadasal mo na lang talaga ‘yong mga practical exams,” she added.
Her review process was also not easy, especially since it took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her mental health was affected, but she didn’t give up.
That's why, when she passed, she couldn't believe that she ranked first. In fact, she had planned that if she failed, she would immediately take the exam again and not let herself be discouraged.
Congratulations, Jean Ella Marie Razon!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
