A remarkable academic achievement has placed Earlene Veronica Almanzor in the history of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
In July 2026, Earlene became the first transgender woman to graduate summa cum laude from UPLB's Institute of Mathematical Sciences. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and joined thousands of graduates during the university's commencement ceremony on July 4.
Finding Her Place in Mathematics
Mathematics was more than a degree for Earlene. She described it as something she genuinely enjoyed studying, even in her free time.
Excelling in the field required years of demanding academic work. Earlene said that earning summa cum laude made the long nights of studying worthwhile.
Her accomplishment is particularly meaningful because she pursued her education while also navigating the challenges that can come with being a transgender student.
Earlene said there were moments when she felt she needed to work harder to demonstrate that she deserved to occupy the same academic spaces as everyone else. Rather than allowing those experiences to determine her future, she used them as motivation to pursue excellence.
A Journey That Wasn't Always Easy
The road to graduation included difficult periods.
Earlene relied on her scholarship stipend to support her education and experienced financial pressures while studying. At one point, the combination of academic demands and personal difficulties became so overwhelming that she considered taking a leave of absence.
Support from friends, classmates, family and professionals helped her continue. She particularly credited her mother and family as important sources of strength throughout her university journey.
Instead of ending her studies, Earlene continued working toward her degree.
The result was the highest academic distinction awarded to an undergraduate student.
Making History at UPLB
Earlene's graduation represented something larger than an individual academic achievement.
According to INQUIRER.net, she is the first transgender woman to graduate summa cum laude from UPLB's Institute of Mathematical Sciences. The publication noted that she may also be the first at UPLB as a whole based on publicly available records, although that broader distinction has not been definitively established.
Earlene wants her confirmed milestone at the institute to represent transgender excellence.
Her achievement demonstrates something simple but important: transgender students belong in mathematics, science, research, classrooms and every other academic field.
Inspiring the Students Who Come Next
Earlene hopes her accomplishment can encourage younger transgender people who want to pursue higher education.
Her message focuses on believing in one's abilities even when discrimination or prejudice makes the journey more difficult. She also wants educational institutions to become more inclusive and give students opportunities based on their potential rather than their gender identity.
That makes her story about more than graduating with exceptional grades.
A young transgender woman entered one of the Philippines' leading universities to study mathematics, persevered through difficult circumstances, and left with its highest undergraduate academic distinction.
Her name now carries another distinction as well: a history-making graduate who can help the students coming after her see that there is a place for them in higher education too.