How this Civil Engineering Board Exam Top 4 passer plans to give back

BUTUAN CITY - It was five days ago when Kenneth Acas learned that he passed a Civil Engineering Board Exam but he still can't believe he made it.

Acas is a son of a government employee, the eldest of five siblings. He admits that before he enrolled in college, he sought a scholarship due to poverty. He later became a beneficiary of the Human Resource Management Development (HMRD) Scholarship Program of the Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) in Butuan City.

After graduating, he reviewed for four months in Manila.

For Kenneth, the exam wasn't easy. He just hoped to pass but he never expected that he would place fourth among the passers.

Now that Acas has attained the fruit of his hard work, his plan is to teach in his Alma Mater for a few years as payback for being a scholar.

"Nag-hope lang ako na mapasar gyud, so dako na siya na blessing, to God be the glory na nakasulod ko tapos until now overwhelming." Acas said.

(I was just hoping to pass, so this is a big blessing, to God be the glory that I'm one of the Top 10; until now it's overwhelming.)

Fr. Randy Odchigue, FSUU's Vice President for Academic Affairs, appreciated what Acas has accomplished.

The University itself requires their scholar who successfully graduated to serve first in College of Engineering and be an inspiration to other students.

"When students see that, 'Wow Mr. Acas, our top 4, is teaching in our department,' then they can be inspired and Kenneth can transfer so to say the technology of how he was able to attain the success," Odchigue said.

A total of 19 students out of 24 passed the licensure exam with a school performance of 79.17%.

5,036 out of 10,972 passed the Civil Engineer Licensure Examination, which was topped by Sirven Garibay of UP Los Banos with a score of 93.20.