Lea and Alyssa are the power cousins of the SOJ. They’re a package deal, a buy-one-take-one, if you will. When you assign one to work on something, you can almost guarantee that the other will help. And when one can’t attend an activity because of a school commitment, chances are the other won’t be there either. You get the picture.
I believe their bond started at birth. I know this because I literally saw them as babies — I was their neighbor and a childhood friend of their older siblings. I witnessed their early Kiddie Kingdom years, when the “K” stood for kulit, and I watched them grow into the graceful and intelligent young women they are today.
Back then, they sat side by side in every KK session, always attending together. Maybe that’s also why they were accepted into the scholarship at the same time when they were in 2nd grade. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had requested that they be taken in as a pair.
They graduated elementary together, and I still vividly remember writing a congratulatory post for that milestone. Now, six years later, here they are again, graduating from high school, both with high honors. Wow, right!
I write this not just as the scholarship head, but as someone who has known them and their families personally. I am extremely proud of Lea and Alyssa, not only for their academic excellence, but more so for the remarkable individuals they have become.
We all grew up in a community where every major typhoon meant months in evacuation centers, where basic necessities such as WiFi, direct access to power and water supply were hard to come by, and where resilience was not just a choice but a way of life. Despite these challenges, Lea and Alyssa rose above and beyond. They turned hardship into motivation, and with quiet strength, they bloomed.
To see them now, diligent and dedicated, is truly inspiring. They are living proof that strong values when planted early, will blossom into something beautiful.
Lea and Alyssa are currently enjoying their summer break before starting college this August. Even in this in-between season, they continue to serve wholeheartedly, organizing youth basketball activities in their local community, writing articles for the SOJCFI website, and actively participating in Kiddie Kingdom and prayer meetings.
Of course, they will go to the same school and take the same course! Congratulations, Lea and Alyssa, our soon-to-be Marketing professionals! We are all very proud of you!
Written by Yarei Lauro
sojcfoundationph.com 