Isa sa pinasasalamatan ni Mark Anthony Salazar Arcayan sa kanyang tagumpay ang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
Pangatlo sa pitong magkakapatid si Mark.
Ang kanyang ina na si Amelia, bagaman at masasakitin, ay isang parent leader at church volunteer sa kanilang lugar.
Barangay secretary naman ang kanyang amang si Rogelio.
Top 1 si Mark sa February 2022 Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination, at may rating na 96.60 percent.
Ang tubong Merida, Leyte ay gumawa ng kasaysayan dahil hawak niya ngayon ang record bilang pinakamataas ang nakuhang rating sa MELE.
Produkto si Mark ng Visayas State University.
Nagtapos siya bilang class valedictorian at magna cum laude noong September 30, 2020.
Scholar din siya ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Isa siya sa Filipino college scholars na nag-qualify at naging exchange student sa loob ng anim na buwan sa Short-Term Exchange Program sa Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) sa Tokyo, Japan.
Ayon sa artikulong inilathala ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Eastern Visayas noong March 10, 2022, sinabi ni Mark na, “Malaking tulong ang 4Ps sa aming pamilya.
“Dahil sa suporta ng programa, kami ay naka-survive.”
KANIN LANG ANG BAON SA ESKUWELA
Dahil sa hirap ng kanilang pamilya, napakaraming struggles ang pinagdaanan ni Mark.
Noong nag-aaral pa siya, dahil madalas may sakit ang kanyang ina, nakaranas siyang magbaon ng kanin lang pero walang ulam.
Lumaki rin siya sa mapanuring komunidad.
Marami ang nagsabing hindi siya makakatapos ng pag-aaral dahil sa problemang pinansiyal ng kanyang mga magulang.
May mga nag-akala pa noon na baka ipaampon lang silang magkakapatid dahil hindi sila kayang buhayin ng kanilang ama’t ina.
Pero ayon kay Mark, sanay siya sa mahihirap na sitwasyon, “No matter where I end up, I’m always able to adapt.
“I would never surrender and I would always keep on fighting.”
Nagtapos siya sa high school bilang class valedictorian.
SADYANG MASIPAG MAG-ARAL
Nang mag-aaral na sa kolehiyo ay nawalan ng hanapbuhay ang ama ni Mark dahil sa epekto ng bagyong Yolanda.
Nagbigay-daan ang kanyang nakatatandang kapatid na babae at huminto muna ito sa pag-aaral para si Mark ang makapagpatuloy.
Nakapasa naman siya sa DOST undergraduate scholarship program. Libre na ang kanyang tuition fee, mayroon pa siyang regular monthly living allowance. Pero kailangan pa rin niyang magtipid.
“I had limited weekly allowances so I needed to strictly budget my expenses.”
Bagaman at lagi siyang may pangamba para sa ina na may sakit, nagpakasipag sa pag-aaral si Mark.
“I maintained a strong study habit that I learned from the DOST Summer Orientation and Enrichment Program [SOEP].
“Every night or early morning, I would study my lessons, read books, and practice solving math problems. This has helped me maintain high grades.”
At hindi rin daw niya kinaligtaan ang sarili. Hindi siya totally puro aral.
“Everyone says that I study all the time, but the truth is that when I am sleepy or not feeling well, I do not force myself.
“We should not forget to enjoy our college life, as long as we don’t overdo it. It’s because of this balance that I was able to achieve my academic goals.”
Naniniwala rin si Mark na mahalaga ang pagiging consistent para sa isang college student.
Aniya, “In the case of mathematics, it is common for people to be afraid of it. But the best way to excel in this subject is to consistently practice.
“No matter how smart you are, if you stop practicing, you will forget the principles and formula needed to solve math problems.”
Siya raw mismo ay pinapraktis ang ganitong principle.
“Despite knowing all the basic foundations and concepts of math, if I don’t practice, I will eventually forget some of them.”
NAGING TOPNOTCHER DAHIL SA DISIPLINA
Bilang siya ang may hawak ng record ng pinakamataas na percentage sa MELE, ano ang sikreto ni Mark?
“A month before the board exam, I was consistent at managing my time to read formulas, elements, and solving equations.
“This part for me was the hardest given that there are a lot of distractions from video games down to social media. I really tried hard to discipline myself.”
Pagbibigay-diin niya, “Intelligence by itself is insufficient as you really need consistency if you want to make it to the top.”
Nagpapahinga rin siya sa pagre-review pag kinakailangan. Nag-i-enjoy rin paminsan-minsan.
“I played DOTA on the sides. But I know exactly when to control myself from all forms of distractions.
“I also ensure that I get enough sleep to reenergize and recharge myself from the many challenges of my daily study routine.”
Sa kasalukuyan, faculty member si Mark sa VSU at tumutulong sa kanyang home department na maging topnotch school sa larangan ng mechanical engineering.
“It has always been my passion to teach students and to share my knowledge. I have a style of studying that I want to impart to struggling students.
“I don’t think we should allow students to be left behind or give them intense pressure when they fail.”
Plano rin niyang mag-aral sa Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)—ang number 1 university sa buong mundo pagdating sa mechanical engineering.
“That’s one of the dreams that I really wish to accomplish in the future. I’m already looking into MIT including other prestigious global universities where I can pursue graduate studies.
“I’m hoping that I can make this dream come true.”