How failures motivated this Cebu topnotcher to succeed

How failures motivated this Cebu topnotcher to succeed

Always go back to the basics.

Many exam takers often overlook the basics because “they are just basics.” They believed they were confident enough to master the basic levels, so they focused on advanced topics, thinking those were more important.

However, this was not the case for Engineer John Glenn Jacob, the 22-year-old Cebuano graduate who ranked third in the recently released results of the April 2024 Registered Electrical Engineering Licensure Examination (REELE).

Go back to basics

In an interview with CDN Digital, the newly licensed electrical engineer shared that no matter how easy and mastered the fundamentals or basics may appear, one cannot disregard that all advanced topics require an understanding of the fundamentals.

“Don’t skip the basics… While gareview ko, di gyud nako i-skip ang mga basics bisag unsa pana kasayon. Importante na ang fundamentals in any field or exam na imong take-kan so never skip the basics gyud,” he said.

Glenn was among the five Cebuano graduates who topped the recent REELE 2024 with a rating of 94.10 percent. Engineer Raymond Omboy Geoman from Cebu Institute of Technology – University secured the top spot with a 95 percent rating.

READ: 4 graduates from Cebu universities top civil engineer board exam

“Happy ko, but overwhelming kaayo ang results,” he expressed.

Low-key student life

Glenn, as he is often called, was just a typical low-key student who preferred not to be in the spotlight but rather in the corner, dedicating most of his time to doing his best, whether the task was easy or difficult.

He gained his interest in engineering when he started getting curious about electronics and how appliances operate with electricity. From the cooling refrigerator to the television, every appliance in their house never escaped the curious and clever eyes of Glenn.

“Nacurious man jud ko anang mga kuryente-kuryente sa balay kanang mga appliances, so mao to na ganahan ko mag Electrical Engineering,” he shared.

Failures and discouragements

Glenn’s student life was like many others, with its share of highs and lows. One memorable moment was during his third year when he had an exam on topics he hadn’t studied yet, which left him with a low score.

“Mao gyud toy maingon nako nga turning point sa akong life kay from that moment, I told myself nga di nako ganahan mubati sa akong nafeel aning time-ma so naningkamot ko from then on,” Glenn said.

Determined to excel in everything, fate seemed to be consistently unfavorable as more setbacks followed. It was a crushing defeat in a contest that left him feeling burnt out.

He became discouraged from studying, thinking that no matter how much effort he exerted, he would still fail. He did not take his tasks seriously and always just played games on his phone.

One failure after another, and it became a normal occurrence for him. Glenn’s once strong pursuit of excellence now seemed unattainable.

However, everything snapped back into focus and changed the course of his actions when he met a particular classmate.

“Thankfully, naa koy classmate nga nagpabalik nako nga maningkamot. Right before mi nagreview, niingon siya nako nga paningkamotan niya’g board exam, didto mura sad ko’g na-motivate nga maningkamot sad,” he said.

Challenges

During the days of review, Glenn faced numerous challenges that tested his grit. The first problem he faced was not having a classmate to study with at his rented boarding house.

Left to himself, he relied solely on chatting with his peers. This made his second problem worse: his internet was really slow. Because of this, Glenn couldn’t find answers to his study questions easily.

But, being determined, he found other ways to get the information he needed.

Besides those problems, money was also a big issue. Every day, more fees and expenses came up for his review, making his tight budget even tighter.

But Glenn didn’t focus on these challenges too much. Instead, he saw them as motivation to do well in his reviews.

“Enjoy lang sa review jud ayaw padala sa pressure and in times nga murag lisod na ipadayon. Remember lang na dili ra para nimo ang imong maabot, always remember ngano ka nagreview, para kang kinsa, imong mga goals,” he said.

Hardwork and faith

Glenn’s review routine started with basic formulas and moved on to harder topics. He believed that even if you’re good at the basics, it’s important to understand everything deeply.

“Never skip the basics and if kaya pa sa oras, review the higher topics, the more you know, the better gyud inag abot sa board exam,” he shared.

Despite his studies, Glenn always made time to pray, relying on hard work and faith as his keys to success. They are like his best recipe for achieving greater things in life.

“As long as imong gihagoan, given nga tinarong sad na pagkahago, dili lang kay ipalabay ra after pila ka days, ang imong gipray dako gyud og chance na mupasar ka sa boards. And sa mga fortunate na naay muguide or mumentor nila while undergrad pa sila, i-maximize nila na nga opportunity, ask sa mga wala nila nasabtan and don’t be ashamed to be a newbie, naa man juy sinugdanan tanan and also don’t be too hard sa imong kaugalingon,” he said.

Dreams as an engineer

Topping the board exam and now a licensed Electrical Engineer, just as he had always dreamed, Glenn aims to use his skills for the community’s benefit.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, he envisions to make transformations in Cebu, transitioning overhead lines to underground cables like those in Davao. He also wants to help upgrade energy transmission systems for better electricity use.

“Hopefully mo-grow ko as an engineer, dili stagnant ang akong progress everyday and that I’ll learn something new may it be sa career, personal stuff, etc. aron akong magamit akong learnings puhon sa mga umaabot nga future generation of engineers in time nga ako napuy magguide nila and hopefully mapart ko sa path nila na mahimo silang successful engineers in the near future.” /clorenciana