"I envision myself wearing a uniform of a teacher, a symbol of my commitment to nurturing the minds and hearts of future generations."

Mandela is a girl from Quezon City, Philippines.

Mandela dreams of becoming a teacher – a manifestation of her commitment to lifelong learning. She hopes to make a difference in the lives of others by treating them with compassion, showing them resilience, and pouring love which she learned from taking care of her two older brothers with autism.

In her free time, Mandela still fulfills her responsibility as a child, student, and student-leader. She devotes it to helping with household chores, reviewing lessons, or drafting resolutions for their student government.

As an aspiring educator, she is passionate about subjects like English, Social Sciences, Philosophy, and Mathematics as these give her different perspectives and deep appreciation of the complexities of the world.

Mandela’s father works as a factory worker, while her mother is stay-at-home.

Mandela topped her Grade 11 batch of 370 students in Balingasa High School.