SANTOS, Gerald P. Kasaysayan 197

2012-46151 August 7, 2015

Gerald Pajaroja Santos is the eldest among the three children of Fidel and Victoria Santos. He

was born on December 26, 1995 in a maternity clinic. His father was raised in Pampanga while

his mother was raised in Samar. Since he was the eldest, somehow his parents are expecting that

he could help the family immediately after his graduation. Her mother was his first teacher ,

teaching him the alphabet and reading fervently. Actually one of his early memories was the day

he had learned to read.

He started schooling at the age of 4, spending two years in kindergarten; six years in grade

school (General Tiburcio de Leon Elementary School) and four years in high school (General

Tiburcio de Leon National High School). He considers himself slacker in grade school but in

high school he thought to have a “paradigm shift” and decided to do better in high school. Indeed

he did well in high school and got academic excellence awards in his first three years but in his

senior year, he thought that it these recognitions and grades would not mean something if he

would not enter the University of the Philippines. So, he decided to take UPCAT and passed.

The day he saw his name on the passers’ list is one of his memorable days of his life. He directs

himself on aiming to achieve greater things and to attend the Premier State University is one of

the great things for him.

He was admitted first at UP Manila in the BA Social Sciences (Area Studies) program. Since

the start he wanted to transfer at UP Diliman because of its flagship status in the UP System.

Transferring also to Diliman would benefit his health because it seemed that he became sickly in

Manila due to pollution and toxicity of academics there even in General Education courses. After

spending a year there, he successfully transferred in the BA History program. He chose to be in

this program because he loves to read and to know things.

Actually, he did not like his first years in college because he was so shy and he thought that he

could not make meaningful relationships so he kept distancing himself to people but on his last

year in college, he tries to make it up and change his mindset so even his last years would be the

years he would like to keep remembering.

He also loves music and actually he is currently a trainee in UP Singing Ambassadors and

accompanies their Parish Youth Choir. He keeps himself busy by doing these things and hanging

out with his friends. At the moment, he intends to get high grades at the end of the semester so he

could maintain a laude status and be able to be elected in an honor society. He dreams to travel

around the world especially explore Europe. He believes that his life is an attempt to strike back

and sees every mistake as an attempt to learn.