Cordilleran from ABRA earns highest honors at University of Oxford

Abrenian Ellaine Joy Calapao Sanidad, who thought it is ‘suntok sa buwan’ to be admitted at the University of Oxford, has recently earned the highest honors distinction at the prestigious university in the United Kingdom.

Ellaine, who is from San Isidro, Abra, finished her Master of Studies in Diplomatic Studies at the University of Oxford this December through the Chevening Scholarship, a UK-based scholarship.

Her graduation ceremony will be in March 2022.

As gathered from abrenian.com, Ellaine has always been on top of her classes: she graduated as the class Valedictorian at the San Isidro Central School and at the Immaculate Conception Academy in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

When she pursued her college degree at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2010.

‘Suntok sa Buwan’

Prior to getting a degree abroad, Ellaine first worked as a professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. While teaching, she also took her first master’s degree, which is MA in Speech Communication at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Ellaine also became a Chief Intelligence Analyst at the National Coast Watch Center, under the Office of the President.

In her interview with Interaksyon this December 6, she mentioned that her first attempt to apply for the Chevening Scholarship failed.

However, this didn’t stop her from re-applying, and with her second try, she was able to get the scholarship and was offered a place at Oxford.

“As I described it in one of my posts on IG, my application in Oxford was ‘suntok sa buwan’. I just tried applying there, but never really expected to be offered a place. So, imagine my joy when I received those two big news in 2020 — getting the Chevening scholarship, and offered a place in Oxford,” she told Interaksyon.

Studying away from home

Meantime, among the challenges Ellaine faced while she was studying in the UK was her dad being diagnosed with dementia. Also, while she was writing her dissertation, she also told Interaksyon that her parents tested positive with Covid-19.

Ellaine’s very close aunt and cousin also died while she was away.

Additionally, Ellaine mentioned she was homesick, describing it as an ‘emotional torture’.

She recalled wanting and needing to be with her family, however, there was nothing she could do. With this, she studied hard and aimed to finish her studies abroad quickly.

“It came to a point I asked my ambitious self why she needed to dream that big. Why she brought me into that, so far, toughest year of my life. I wanted and needed to be with my family so bad, but there was little to nothing I could do. So, I studied hard and aimed to finish my program quick, as if those could make that one year away from home shorter,” she recalled.

Meanwhile, coming back home, Ellaine said her priority is to rest and spend quality time with her family. She also added that before she’s going to pursue her next plans, she is going to work on her physical recuperation as her physical health suffered from many restless days at the University of Oxford.

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