4 FilCan Students Receive FCT Outstanding Graduate Awards

 

By Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired
Photos courtesy of Joey Baking of L.M.
Toronto-Canada
August 29, 2021
 




The Filipino Centre Toronto-FCT, a 22 -year old community-based, service-focused & volunteer-run hub in the GTA, has aptly recognized and honoured 4 top student graduates during its 14th "Annual Rosalinda C, Javier Outstanding Students Awards Day" (RCJOSA) on August 22, 2021, at the FCT Social Hall, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario. Celebrated yearly, the competition aims to encourage, challenge and reward students to achieve academic excellence and success.





The honourees belonged to those who completed their respective high school and post-secondary studies during the school year of 2019-2020. Given awards are Grade12 graduates John Lennard Dulin of Iona Catholic Secondary School-DPCDSB, Chloe Eunice Panganiban of Henry Newman Catholic School-TCDSB, and Angelica Kaylee D. Tait of The Country Day (Private)School, under the secondary school category and Brock University BSc. Medical Sciences graduate Kathryn Chermaine Carandang, Post-Secondary honouree. All four graduates each received a Plaque of Recognition from the Filipino Centre Toronto and Cash Prizes from Alvine Marasigan Flor, Precy Tumulak, and Segundino "Dodong" Tumulak.



The popular awards program, which started in 2005, has already presented a total of 124 recipients under the 3 categories in the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels. The annual ceremony should have been undertaken last year but due to the pandemic crisis, it was rescheduled for this summer. FCT will start receiving applications for the 2020-2021 outstanding students competition in October 2021.

Selected by a panel of judges, the proud awardees have extraordinarily qualified and satisfied the 4 main criteria: Average Grades -50%; Extracurricular Activities- 15%; Community Involvement - 15%; and Interview Performance -20%.



The FCT-RCJOSA Committee is composed of Chairman Tony A. San Juan( founding chair of Filipino Heritage Council of Canada); Co-chair Mary Ann S. San Juan( president & CEO of Filipino Centre Toronto); and Members Jodelyn Huang ( community relations officer-TCDSB), Steve Pagao ( president of Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto); and Fermer Santos (vice-principal of Agincourt Collegiate Institute-TDSB).



Among the distinguished guests were His Worship, Toronto Mayor John Tory, who was the event guest speaker and presenter of the awards. Likewise, Ms. Salma Zahid, a reelection candidate for Liberal MP for Scarborough Centre gave an inspirational address. FCT president & CEO Mary Ann S. San Juan and Board of Directors Chairman Efren De Villa, FCT Treasurer Wendy Arena made the welcome address Invocation, and closing remarks, respectively. The special guests were introduced by FCT Director Philip Beloso and TDSB Vice-Principal Fermer Santos. Post-secondary school student awardee Kathryn Chermaine Carandang provided the response and FCT Vice president Tess Lumanlan ably hosted the program. Also in attendance were the FCT directors & officers, the awardees' parents, relatives & friends, community & media leaders & volunteers. ( Tony A. San Juan-OCT-Ret.)