Pisay student who got Yale scholarship offer shares inspiring academic journey

A Philippine Science High School (PSHS) student named Nathan Wayne Ariston has been offered the incredible chance to study at Yale University on full scholarship.

The whiz kid from PSHS-Central Mindanao Campus, who dreamt of becoming a physicist one day, talked about his inspiring academic journey in an interview on "Unang Hirit."

"I was happy and surprised because I did not expect that I'll be accepted in a university like Yale, because it's Yale, and I'm the first (student to be accepted) from CMC," Ariston said in Filipino during the show.

"I'm even happier with the financial aid that they offered me because my studies will be on full ride (scholarship)."

Nathan has been a consistent honor student since elementary and has participated in several local and international science and math competitions.

He made the country proud when he bagged the silver medal in the International Earth Science Olympiad held in Daegu, South Korea, and the bronze medal in the 2020 International Chemistry Olympiad organized in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ariston remained determined to fulfill his dream of becoming a physicist even with the current distance learning setup in the Philippines amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apart from the full scholarship at Yale University, he also received offers from schools like Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), University of California - Irvine (USA), and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).

According to his mother Aimee, Wayne has always been disciplined when it comes to his studies. Since he was in kindergarten, he already had study habits and a designated learning time every day.

"He is also a kind and loving son and even if he's busy with his lessons, he still has time to help around the house," she added. – Margaret Claire Layug/RC, GMA News