CoEd’s first BSEd Filipino topnotcher waited 5 years to take LEPT

RHODA MAY EBAD

“A dream delayed is not a dream denied.”

After five long years of waiting, College of Education alumna Zerimar Ramirez has finally sealed the “LPT” in her name as she passed the October 2022 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers, and emerged as one of the top nine with a 92.60% rate.

Ramirez, who finished her bachelor in Secondary Education major in Filipino in 2017, failed to take the licensure exam when a discrepancy was found in her birth certificate.

“Honestly nainggit ko sa akong mga classmates na nipasa sa LET and nakasulod sa public school. Saksi akong habol ug unlan sa akong tanang luha sa akong kagustuhan nga makaexam na jud,” she shared.

Frustrated by what had happened, Ramirez decided to work at a private school until 2019.

The Mindanao State University- General Santos City (MSU-GSC) hosted the first Federation of Mindanao State University Supreme Student Councils Organization (FEMSUSSCO) Adaptive Leadership, Peace and Conflict Management Training, December 4-7 at Venue 88 Hotel and Events Place, General Santos City.

The four-day event in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had sessions and workshops about MSU as a National Peace University, Adaptive Leadership in Peace Promotion, Understanding Violent Extremism and Prospects of Building Community Resilience, Conflict Management, Understanding the Peacebuilding Spiral, Design Thinking for Peace, Gender and Peace Building, and Designing of Peace Projects.

“This is an opportunity to engage with young people, both young men and women in gender and responsive peace building that contextualize the context of Mindanao and as an MSUan, I am really grateful that we developed partners like UNDP and that MSU is organizing this event,” said Yasmira Moner, lecturer regarding the topic Gender and Peace building.

Moner has also expressed her gratitude to Atty. Basari D. Mapupuno, the MSU System President, for his tantamount support in promoting peace in the university and for promoting a future towards a gender fair and peaceful world.

“I hope that the students will bring a peace agenda in the MSU System and we will champion conflict-sensitive peace,” Moner added.

The following year would have been her time to secure a license but the

COVID-19 pandemic suspended the examinations. Heartbroken Ramirez lost hope in getting a chance of taking the exam and thought of going abroad instead.

Now Or Never

Last year, when rumors broke out that graduates from the old curriculum would not be allowed to take the 2023 licensure exam, now-topnotcher Teacher Zar immediately decided to pursue, for the last time, her dream license.

“A dream delayed is not a dream denied,” the first-ever BSEd Filipino topnotcher of MSU-Gensan quipped.

“Mahirap talaga i-top ang Filipino at English pero posible pala. Just focus on your review and have faith,” she added after knowing that she made a history of being the first one to top in her major.

Ramirez was joined by fellow alumna Errah Mae Plana , who majored in Biology, in the Top 9 podium.