“I was in shock... it felt exactly like a dream”:The story of Cauayan’s Queency Galapia, 2026 Geodetic Engineering Top 3

FEATURE

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — There was a time when Queency Lyne C. Galapia thought she was falling short of the expectations she had set for herself.

She had worked hard throughout college and dreamed of graduating with Latin honors. But academic setbacks prevented her from reaching that milestone.

What came next, however, would prove that one missed academic distinction could never define her potential.

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera, the Cauayan City native shared her journey to becoming the third placer nationwide in the September 2026 Geodetic Engineer Licensure Examination (GELE), earning an impressive 89.40 percent rating.

For Galapia, the achievement was both unexpected and deeply emotional.

Becoming a topnotcher had been her ultimate goal from the beginning of her review journey. But after facing a particularly difficult final subject on the first day of the examination, she began lowering her expectations.

The dream of ranking among the country’s best suddenly gave way to a simpler prayer: to pass.

“When the official results were released, I was in shock to see my name on the topnotchers list, and I started shaking uncontrollably because it felt exactly like a dream,” Galapia recalled.

The moment was overwhelming, she said, and she immediately felt immense gratitude to Jehovah for what she described as an incredible blessing.

A dream shaped by family

Long before her name appeared on the national list of topnotchers, Galapia had already been shaped by a family that placed a high value on education.

Growing up in Cauayan City, she was constantly encouraged by her family to believe in her abilities and strive for excellence.

That support helped mold her into a dedicated student and honor student who continually pushed herself to achieve more.

But her path to becoming a board topnotcher was not a straight line.

The academic setbacks she encountered in college became part of her story, including the disappointment of not graduating with Latin honors.

Instead of allowing those setbacks to define her, Galapia carried them with her as she moved toward the licensure examination.

When the dream came with a price

Preparing for the GELE demanded sacrifices that went far beyond long hours of studying.

Her review sessions began while she was still completing her graduation requirements, creating an immediate time crunch.

As she struggled to balance school and review, backlogs accumulated.

“Preparation for the board exam was filled with heavy sacrifices,” Galapia said.

The pressure intensified when she had to leave her family and support system and move to Manila to enroll in a review center.

The distance from home, combined with the demands of review, made an already difficult period even more challenging.

She also carried the effects of academic burnout from her college years, leaving her with little opportunity to rest before entering another demanding phase.

The pressure eventually took a serious toll on her well-being.

Galapia said she reached a point where she had to seek professional help as she worked through the challenges of the review period.

For her, asking for help became part of surviving the journey.

From simply passing to placing third

The difficult examination experience on the first day further humbled her expectations.

Although becoming a topnotcher remained her dream, the difficulty of the test made her focus on simply getting through the examination and earning a passing mark.

Then came the results. Her name was not merely on the list of successful examinees. It was among the top three geodetic engineering examinees in the country.

The result transformed years of pressure, sacrifices, disappointments and self-doubt into a milestone she could finally celebrate.

For Galapia, however, the achievement carries a meaning deeper than the title of “topnotcher.”

She said it allowed her to honor the sacrifices of the people who believed in her and make her family proud. It also became an answer to those who had once looked down on her family.

A message for those still struggling

Having experienced setbacks herself, Galapia now has a message for aspiring geodetic engineers who may be questioning whether they are still capable of reaching their dreams.

She urges them not to allow failures or difficult seasons to determine the ending of their story.

“Never, ever give up on your dreams, no matter how many setbacks life throws your way and simply take your journey one day at a time,” she said.

Galapia’s journey from an aspiring honor graduate who experienced academic setbacks to the No. 3 geodetic engineering board topnotcher in the Philippines is a reminder that success does not always follow the path people expect.

Sometimes, the road to the top passes through disappointment, exhaustion and moments when simply continuing feels like an achievement.

For the young geodetic engineer from Cauayan, those moments did not stop the journey.

They became part of what brought her to the top.