2 Fil-Can Top Ontario Scholars

2 Fil-Can Top Ontario Scholars

Kaliyah Macaraig

The Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), Canada’s largest publicly- supported and most diverse Catholic school district, recently announced that 2 Filipino -Canadian students are among nine outstanding Grade 12 graduates who were awarded top academic honours in Ontario during the academic year 2018-2019.

The two, namely Jarred S. Laganas and Kaliyah Macaraig, are from North York and Scarborough, Ontario respectively. These “top high school graduates far exceeded Ontario provincial education standards”, according to TCDSB.

Jarred Santos Laganas graduated Grade 12 from St. Oscar Romero Catholic Secondary School, North York, with an overall grade average of 94 percent.  Jarred received a total of 7 academic awards: “Best in Chemistry”, “Best in Physics”, “Leadership” and “Sports Specialist /GEM Enrichment.”

He was awarded also as an Ontario Scholar; the St. Oscar Romero Catholic Secondary School “General Academic Excellence for combined academic, leadership and extra-curricular”; and the “Governor General Bronze Medal Academic Award” for the highest academic average in his graduating class.

Jarred Santos Laganas

Jarred will be attending York University in September 2019 and hopes to attend medical school after completing his undergraduate degree program. He is the only son of Perly Santos, a Mathematics teacher at James McGuigan Catholic High School at TCDSB.

Kaliyah Macaraig, the other outstanding Grade 12 graduate achieved an overall average of 98.33 per cent. Kaliyah graduated from St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy. Kaliyah was the project leader for the academy’s Arts Council and spearheaded a number of artistic initiatives in the school. She was also a member of the chaplaincy team and the yearbook committee. Heavily involved and committed to her local parish at St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church in Scarborough, she serves in the parish youth ministry and is an altar server.

Kaliyah, as an Ontario Scholar, was awarded by the University of Toronto with a full scholarship toward her studies in Humanities in September 2019. After which,  she plans to attend law school and aspires to “help in the future those in need of legal protection and assistance.”

To be an Ontario Scholar and earn the distinction, students must achieve an average of 80% or higher on their top six Grade 12 courses. The average is  calculated based on the final marks received in all Grade 11 and 12 courses, as listed on each student’s official transcript issued by the Ontario Ministry of  Education.  Recipients of the Canadian Governor General Bronze Medal is awarded to the graduating student with the highest average from each secondary  school.

Congratulations to Jarred and Kaliyah for their remarkable academic and personal achievements! The Filipino Canadian community and your family & friends are profoundly honoured and greatly proud of both of you! God speed!

(Tony A. San Juan/PRESS RELEASE)