Mobile Legends player, Harvard scholar, future scientist.
When Bam Aquino visited Baguio City recently, he got to meet Reya Siojo—an incredible student proving you don’t have to give up your favorite hobbies to excel in science. Her story quickly went viral, reminding young people everywhere that they can chase their biggest dreams while still making time to have fun along the way.
From Gaming to Groundbreaking Research
Recently, Reya returned from Oklahoma, USA, after participating as an SSP Fellow in the Summer Science Program, a 5-week STEM immersion co-sponsored by Caltech, Harvey Mudd College, and MIT. Remarkably, out of more than 4,000 global applicants, she was one of only 24 accepted into her program.
Throughout those 40 days of intensive chemistry research and seminars, her team even worked on developing potential antifungal drug leads as a foundational step in new drug development.
Balancing Mythical Glory and Ivy League Dreams
Beyond her scientific pursuits, Reya is also a casual Mobile Legends player who reached Mythical Glory (71 stars) and included her gaming background in her Harvard application as a fun fact. In fact, she explained that playing helped build her self-discipline and time management by teaching her to finish her responsibilities before playing.
Consequently, upon hearing about her full scholarship offers from Washington and Lee University, National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan, and a full four-year scholarship to Harvard University covering tuition, housing, living expenses, and annual airfare,
Bam couldn’t help but say,
Grabe, what a great accomplishment”
Redefining Youth Potential
Ultimately, Reya’s journey offers a meaningful perspective on how we view the younger generation. As Bam Aquino thoughtfully shared,
Marahil ang mahalagang aral ay ito: hindi natin dapat agad husgahan ang mga kabataan base lamang sa nakikita natin. Kapag nakakita tayo ng isang kabataang tutok sa cellphone, madalas ang una nating naiisip ay nasasayang lang ang oras. Pero maaari ring siya ang susunod na scientist, doktor, engineer, o innovator ng ating bansa.”
Looking ahead, as Reya heads to Harvard this August to double major in Chemistry and Economics, her story leaves behind a powerful reminder that discipline and proper guidance define a person’s future.
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