Beyond the Mountains: The Journey of Dr. Jonald L. Pimentel
June 24, 2025
USM Sends Off New Batch of Graduates for Class 2025
June 27, 2025
With a remarkable General Weighted Average (GWA) of 1.184, Manuel A. Lisondra, a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics graduate, etched his name into the history of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) Main Campus as the Class Valedictorian of Class 2025 and becoming only the fourth student to graduate Summa cum Laude.
Manuel, a scholar of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of BARMM, consistently ranked at the top of USM’s recognition programs and achieved a perfect 1.0 average during the 2023–2024 academic year.
In an exclusive interview, Manuel shared his secret on how he finished Applied Math program with highest honors.
“My secret is sleep. Sleep is very important. I don’t deprive myself from sleep. I tried to achieve 8-10 hours of sleep. Para sa akin, it helped me nasa maayos na mindset, maayos na pag-iisip, at maka focus sa klase.”
Raised by a construction driver and a housemaker, Manuel sees Math as an elegant subject and is personally significant. He said it would take a lot of maturity to truly appreciate the beauty behind the numbers.
“The main goal of mathematics is to not complicate things but to simplify it, to simplify relationships so that it can be easily digested by people. Data is the new gold; we can get insights out of data and math is a great tool to analyze these data. There’s nothing to be feared about Math because it is so useful for us.” Manuel shared, speaking to those who fear and dislike Math.
During the interview, Manuel shared that he eyes to be a research assistant or statistical analyst after graduation.
In his valedictory speech, Manuel recalled the moment he took the bus alone from Cotabato City to USM Kabacan. He shared it was a leap of faith as his parents would not want him to study outside his hometown. It was in that moment that he learned a powerful lesson, one he shared to his fellow graduates: the value of having faith in disobedience.
“I didn’t know exactly what I was chasing. I was even ready to live alone. But I hold on only that I had this strange and stubborn feeling that something was waiting for me beyond the city I grew up in,” the Class Valedictorian said.
He narrated that his decision from there wasn’t easy. He swallowed his fear. Some labeled him rebel, others called him disobedient, but he held on to the belief that something better was waiting ahead even when everyone around him were filled with doubt.
“Four years ago, at the age of 19, I took my first bus ride to USM, alone, with a heart half full of guilt, half full of hope. Today, I’ll take that road back and return, this time not as a disobedient son, but as the fourth Summa cum Laude in the history of this institution, and as someone who dared to become the Great version of himself,” Manuel claimed.
Continuing his message, he further highlighted the lessons he learned in his journey—lessons he believes could resonate with anyone who faced similar situation.
“At some point in our lives, we’ve all faced a moment when we had to choose between the comfort of the familiar and stepping into the unfamiliar…Sometimes, it means leaving home, and other times, it means staying, even when every part of you wants to run. But in every case, the lesson remains: You won’t know who you can become unless you dare to leave certainty behind,” The Summa cum Laude proudly underscored.
“And if I had to take that bus all over again, I would every single time. The bus to our next journey is here – and this time, we no longer ride alone,” Manuel ended.
In the rich history of USM, the distinction of graduating summa cum laude was a rare and remarkable achievement. The first to earn was R-Lu Cabangbang in 2004, BS in Agricultural Economics graduate from the College of Business, Development Economics, and Management. Four years later, in 2008, Estella Barbosa followed, completing her BSE in English from the College of Education. After more than a decade, Juan Justin Gonzales, BS in International Relations graduate from the Institute of Middle East and Asian Studies, revived the tradition. Now, in 2025, Manuel A. Lisondra joins the list. He is the fourth student in history to reach the highest academic honor.
