FACES OF CEBU: Athena Antepuesto, UP Cebu valedictorian, serves communities

CEBU CITY, Philippines — For many students, graduating as class valedictorian is the culmination of years of sleepless nights, endless readings, and relentless pursuit of academic excellence.

For Athena Ella Antepuesto, however, standing at the top of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Class of 2026 is not a story about individual achievement.

Instead, she sees it as a platform—one that allows her to speak for the communities whose stories have shaped her education.

“I don’t think this is an individual success,” Antepuesto told Cebu Daily News Digital. “For me, this is a collective achievement.”

The Bachelor of Arts in Political Science graduate finished her degree with a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 1.16145, earning her distinction as this year’s UP Cebu valedictorian.

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Yet long before she became one of the university’s highest-achieving graduates, Antepuesto had already defined herself beyond grades and academic honors.

“I have many identities,” she said.

She is a daughter, a sister, a friend, a Cebuana, and a Filipino. She is also a musician who enjoys singing and playing the guitar.

More importantly, she is someone who is deeply invested in the lives of communities that are often left unheard.

That commitment eventually became the foundation of both her college life and her research.

More than academic excellence

While many graduating students aspire to leave UP with Latin honors or awards, Antepuesto believes academic achievement only gains meaning when it is rooted in service.

She considers her recognition not only a personal milestone but also a victory for the social sciences.

The recognition comes at a time when she believes disciplines centered on understanding society and people are increasingly undervalued.

“I was happy because this represents the College of Social Sciences,” she said.

She hopes the distinction highlights the continuing importance of the social sciences in addressing today’s challenges.

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Rather than using the commencement stage simply to celebrate academic success, Antepuesto hopes to use her valedictory address to remind her fellow graduates that education comes with responsibilities beyond those which concern them.

“There are stories that need to be told with conscience,” she said.

For her, education has never been detached from the people.

As an Iskolar ng Bayan, she believes learning should ultimately serve communities, especially those whose struggles are rarely heard in spaces of power.

Learning from the people

That belief became evident in her undergraduate thesis, which examined the effects of coastal commercialization on fisherfolk communities in Talisay City, Cebu.

Instead of limiting herself to theories discussed inside classrooms, Antepuesto immersed herself in the realities experienced by small-scale fishers whose livelihoods continue to be threatened.

Her study explored how the expansion of an international port and the continued entry of commercial fishing vessels into municipal waters have displaced fisherfolk and transformed coastal communities.

For generations, many families depended on the sea for survival.

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Today, many of them face the possibility of abandoning fishing altogether.

“Their ancestors have been fishing for generations,” she said. “Now, some of them are already thinking of stopping because they can no longer compete.”

Her research also examined how different stakeholders—including government agencies, private companies, and coastal communities—interact within this changing political and economic landscape.

While environmental impacts remain significant, Antepuesto said her work primarily focused on understanding the human stories behind the issue.

“Theories come from lived experiences,” she said. “They’re not just words written in books.”

For her, studying Political Science has always meant looking beyond statistics and policy documents.

Behind every number, she said, are real people whose experiences deserve to be understood.

“There are things that numbers alone cannot capture.”

A difficult road to the top

Although she would eventually graduate as valedictorian, Antepuesto admits her college journey was never smooth.

Like thousands of students who entered university after the COVID-19 pandemic, she experienced the difficult transition from fully online classes to face-to-face learning.

Her entire senior high school education had taken place online, making UP Cebu’s academic environment both unfamiliar and intimidating.

“There was definitely culture shock,” she recalled.

The rigorous academic standards of the country’s national university also brought moments of uncertainty.

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Like many freshmen, she questioned whether she truly belonged.

“There were times when I wondered if this was really the right path for me.”

The adjustment period gradually became easier after her first year.

Still, challenges continued to appear throughout college.

Some came in the form of demanding courses and recitations.

Others were far more personal.

During the series of earthquakes and typhoons that affected parts of Cebu last year, some of Antepuesto’s relatives were among those affected.

Although their own home remained safe, helping affected family members became another responsibility she had to balance alongside her studies.

“It wasn’t a good time,” she said. “We were helping one another.”

Amid periods of exhaustion and self-doubt, however, she found herself returning to the same question:

Why continue?

For Antepuesto, the answer has always been the people.

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