AJ Garcia of A2014 is AHS’ sole Magis awardee for 3rd Term of SY 2012-2013

Of the more than 2400 students who were enrolled at the Ateneo de Manila High School during school year 2012-2013, only one got a QPI of 4.00 and straight A’s for deportment in the third term. He is John Angelo “AJ” Garcia of 4A 2014. For this rare feat, AJ received the Magis award at the AHS Reading of Honors ceremony held last Tuesday, June 25 at the AHS Covered Courts.

AJ is a first time Magis awardee. Asked what subject prevented him from getting the honor in the past, he replies, “Math is my kryptonite. I'll always remember the second term of my junior year because I was one letter mark away from the Magis award. Math was my only B+ for that term. What made it even more disappointing was that I got exempted from 4 out of 6 exams that term. So it was the epitome of ‘coming up short’ in terms of my academics.”

A member of the honors class and the Zoom Photography org since he was an Ateneo High School freshman, AJ is used to receiving the “honors-and-Kostka” award combo. “I constantly got second honors with the Kostka for my first two years in the AHS,” says AJ, “but it was only in third year when I rose to the ranks of first honors with Kostka for the first two terms. And then I received the prestigious Magis award for third term.”

Asked who he’d like to thank for the singular feat which capped his third year in the AHS, AJ replies, “I'd just like to thank my parents for pushing me to always reach for the stars and to dream big; my teachers for imparting not just knowledge but also multiple virtues to us students; my friends and classmates who were always there for me during the amazing moments of my AHS life and who helped me in times of distress.”