National University’s (NU) Ar. Shaunn Remzzo T. Blanco, led the 1370 (out of 2205) board passers, taking the top spot with an overall rating of 83.50% in the January 2022 Architect Licensure Examination.
A son of a registered nurse and an architect, Shaunn dreamt to be an architect since he was young, “When I was a child, I (only) wanted to build my mom her dream house. But when I entered this profession, (I realized) it wasn’t just about building houses or structures, it is actually about creating these and the special experiences that everyone would remember.”
Inspired and fascinated with his father’s profession, Shaunn talked to his godfather who shared a lot of things about National U. ‘’One thing I remember was when he talked about prestigious and famous architects from NU, that’s when I realized that if National University was able to produce those architects, then they can mold me into the architect I’ve always dreamt to be.”
When asked about his parents’ reaction Shaunn said, “The moment na nakita ko yung name ko sa list of passers, hindi ko na chineck (topnotchers), friend ko pa yung nag inform sa akin that I topped the exam. I was surprised. My mother cried, pero they always knew na kaya ko ipasa. As for my father, they did not ask naman daw for this pero Top 1 pa daw ang binigay ko, so they were surprised as well.”
According to Shaunn, his secret to success in the ALE is proper conditioning of mind, body and emotions to manage stress and anxiety. “Na-realize ko na mas okay pang relaxed ako during the exams. So even sa paglabas ko ng exam room, I wasn’t really thinking of what I did wrong in the exam. Instead, I thought of it as a way for me to prove myself, regardless of the results”, he added.
The new architect shared that the Nationalian core value that he believes he possesses is integrity. He stressed that it is important in the profession because “integrity defines us and how we continue to uphold our ideals as architects.”
His advice to other professional board examinees is to “Study for future practice, not only for board exam purposes. It will be helpful if ganun yung mindset to retain information”, Shaunn said.
For more than 120 years, National University has been recognized for its academic excellence which has formed the country’s most successful movers and shakers in various industries.
National University brings quality education closer to home as it inaugurates its first campus in Central Luzon at SM City Baliwag in Bulacan. NU Baliwag is the fourth campus to open as part of the University’s ten-year expansion program.
As shared by National University Chairman Hans Sy, the NU expansion anchors on the mission of their late patriarch, Mr. Henry Sy Sr., which is to help Filipinos gain access to education.
Located at the Annex Building of SM City Baliwag, the 14,259.13square meter campus could accommodate at least 6,000 students once face-to-face class resumes. NU Baliwag aims to provide National University’s high standards of educational services not just to students in the first- Class Urban Municipality of Baliwag, but also in some parts of Bulacan, Pampanga as far as Nueva Ecija and Zambales.
In the meantime, it adapts to the new normal by virtually opening its doors to students for online classes. Last August of 2020, it introduced the Flexible Learning Experience (NU FLEX), which focuses on blending remote asynchronous and synchronous learning, a mix of scheduled classes and recorded lectures that are accessible anytime and anywhere.
NU offers wide and comprehensive programs such as BS In Business Administration Major in Marketing Management, BS In Business Administration Major in Financial Management, BS In Accountancy, BS In Tourism Management, BS In Hospitality Management, BS In Psychology, BS In Civil Engineering, BS In Computer Engineering, BS In Information Technology, and BS In Architecture. Recently, the campus opened slots for Senior High School Strands: ABM, HUMSS and STEM.
National University’s highly credible background as a provider of quality education in the country. Apart from being a Microsoft Showcase School, the campus takes pride of its state of the art facilities including simulation rooms with up-to-date equipment for specific courses, and modern computer laboratories. The campus is equipped with competent faculty members from top performing schools to ensure the highest quality classroom instruction.
For admission inquiries, interested students may contact NU Baliwag at 0919 081 4635/0927 533 0342 0923 949 5265.