A senior high school student in Maine, USA who traces her roots to the Sarmiento family of Virac has gained admission to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Joshua Andrew Teaño Placides, a top honor student at Oceanside High School in Rockland, Maine, was offered admission to the MIT Class of 2029 after standing out as one of the most talented and promising students in the competitive applicant pool.
In a letter, Stuart Schmill, the Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services, informed the young Placides of his selection to enter MIT, where he study as a scholar in Biological Engineering.
Joshua, 18, is the eldest of two sons of Maine correctional officer Donn Amie Augustus Placides and US-based charge nurse Margie Teaño Placides.
Margie is the daughter of retired police officer Antonino Era Teaño and the former Myrna Teofila Benavidez Teaño, a clinical instructor at the CatSU College of Health Sciences.
Her grandparents were former CSC Math Prof. Franciso Guerrero Benavidez, who became the first orovincial probatiion officer in Catanduanes, and school teacher Natividad Panti.
This year, nurse Margie won the DAISY Award, a special honor given to extraordinary nurses for the compassionate contributions they make every day going above and beyond expectations in science and sensitivity, while working at Quarry Hill-Assisted Living.
On the other hand, Donn is the son of the late Buenaventura Placides and the late Dr. Estrella Sarmiento-Placides, the CatSU professor who is a co-founder of the Center for Catandungan Heritage.
He is the grandson of the late teacher Felipe Sarmiento and Dominga Arcilla of San Juan, Virac.
A multi-awarded graduate with high honors of the Naga Central School, Joshua spent the first two years of high school as a scholar of the Philippine Science High School in Goa, Camarines Sur, before the family immigrated to USA four years ago.
This year, he was a participant in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, California attended by budding scientists and engineers from 75 countries.
He earned his place at the event by topping the Maine State Fair using a “starter” research project that he himself thought would not bring him to the world stage.
Although Joshua Andrew did not win in LA, he was honored by the Maine State House and Senate for his achievements at the state fair.
During the Maine STEM Film Festival a few years ago, he also won first place in the 9-12 division for “PROMETHEUS UNCHAINED: A Brief History of Biotechnology.”
He counts his grandmother, the late Dr. Estrella Sarmiento-Placides who founded the Center for Catandungan Heritage, Inc., as his greatest inspiration, and credits CatSU professor Dr. Ramon Felipe Sarmiento for motivating him to reach his dream of becoming a scientist.