Write-Up and Interview by: Fran Fabricante
Introduction and Passions
Andre Perez is a Grade 12 student at Tuguegarao City Science High School, also known as Tugscie. His passions revolve around doing environmental works and advocacies as well as fostering community service through STEM. He is the current president of YES-O, an environmental & science organization, the STEM section head editor and photojournalist of Tuguegarao City Scribes, and the founder of EINSpiRE, an organization that gives free STEM education to high school students.
He also loves engaging in engineering research and quiz bee competitions! Aside from these, Andre loves reading books, biking around the city, cooking food, watching tv shows (Grey’s Anatomy and Modern Family are his favorites!), and baking the most random concoctions in his oven!
Through his fulfilling science high school experience, Andre is now off to college at Columbia University on full-ride financial aid and will be studying Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track this coming Fall 2022.
The SHS Experience
Andre has always wanted to immerse himself in the medical field as a doctor and pursuing STEM paves the way for him to accomplish this goal.
“Coming from a far-flung community, I have witnessed first-hand the subpar and inaccessible healthcare system that continually afflicts the marginalized sectors of society.”
With this in mind, entering the halls of Tugscie only enabled him to delve deeper into his interests!
“Tugscie taught me that scientific information shouldn’t be limited within the four walls of a classroom. Instead, it needs to transcend beyond these borders. Because at the end of the day, what use would wisdom be if not for the service of others? Indeed, being a scientist means serving the people.”
At Tugscie, he particularly struggled with the new environment and experienced culture shock. But after conquering the first two years of high school, Andre became more active in extracurricular activities and started to mold his passions. Academics slowly became manageable and he further sought to marvel at the beauty of studying the most mundane topics!
He grew comfortable with having “bad days” as getting through a rough patch is already an accomplishment and deserves to be celebrated. He also realized the importance of chasing a sensible balance of both failures and triumphs because their coexistence spurs growth—a fundamental value that make-up a successful student and scientist.
STEM Idols
Alan Turing, a computer scientist during World War II who cracked the Enigma Code, is Andre’s STEM idol! He created the Turing Test and is well-versed in cryptanalysis, quantum physics, and mathematics. Despite Alan Turing’s revolutionary accomplishments in STEM, he was still ostracized by society for being a part of the LGBT community. Andre considers Alan Turing his inspiration in STEM because he is proof that LGBT scientists are equally as competent as any other scientist and that they shouldn’t be looked down upon.
Goals and Advice
Since medical school (and becoming a doctor) is still quite far down the road, his focus right now lies in biomedical engineering and biotechnology. Upon entering college, he aspires to engage in stem cell research, tissue engineering for organ regeneration, or vaccine research (and hopefully contribute to the creation of an HIV vaccine)! He would also like to study biomechanics and computer science to aid in the manufacturing of automated prosthetics.
STEM might be daunting at first, but Andre assures current elementary students that they will find comfort in STEM as long as they pursue their genuine passions and academic interests. Admittedly, he was iffy before studying STEM, but it was definitely a decision that changed the trajectory of his life—and he is more than willing to do it all over again.
“The Philippines is in dire need of more thinkers like you, and the future of the country lies within our reach and intellect. If you do decide to study STEM, I hope that the Filipino people would become the torch that would lead you towards scientific breakthroughs.”
Mitsa Tutoring 