"Learning how to ask is a skill, and it becomes social or educational capital. The more efficiently you accomplish things, the earlier you will finish, and that translates to better academic performance," he shared.
[EXCLUSIVE]
From elementary to college, a University of the Philippines summa cum laude and class valedictorian of Public Administration has proven how curiosity can lead to an epic journey of survival, academic excellence, and dream-come-true success as he now ventures onto the international stage through a Harvard education.
Humble beginnings
For Val Llamelo, admission to such prestigious university was something he never imagined growing up. In his social media post, he shared his humble beginnings, a story many Filipino students can relate to:
"I also grew up learning to make a daily allowance of twenty or fifty pesos stretch through an entire day of classes. Enduring the heat inside a small classroom. Learning to dream despite the lack of facilities, resources, and opportunities. And when I got to college, there were times people would ask me, 'Where's that?' whenever I mentioned the school I came from."
He is currently taking the Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship program to expand his network, entrepreneurial skills, and marketing innovation.
He was granted a full scholarship at Harvard and has also received financial support from the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global.
Filipino spirit abroad
Val shared that the Filipino community at Harvard and in Boston is quite small, so he is truly embracing his uniqueness as a Filipino.
"I also feel like I'm representing the Philippines. That's why whenever there are class discussions, I always chime in and give the class and other people—my classmates, the perspective of Filipino culture. And that is also what Harvard really encourages," he shared.
He is also known online for his Harvard content, which he keeps relatable by speaking Tagalog. This often leads viewers to comment things like: "Oh wow! Harvard student pero nagta-Tagalog siya (Oh wow! Harvard student, but he/she speaks Tagalog!)"
"Even before, I noticed that although there are Filipinos who make it here, either they come from a very wealthy family, children of politicians, anak ni ganito, anak ni ganyan (children of this person, children of that person), very well-off, or they come from established schools like Pisay (Philippine Science High School) or science high schools," he shared.
"As for me, I came from a regular public school, so it's refreshing for them to see someone who speaks Tagalog. Because of course, when you're there, it feels somewhat elite," he added.
From student achiever to educator
Val dreamed of being a lawyer, but chose to set that aside due to financial factors. Now, he is focusing on growing as an educator through the business he built as a college freshman: LevelUp Philippines, an organization providing academic support and learning enrichment programs to students.
His business is deeply personal and serves as a way to honor his background as a public school student.
"We offer free review programs to public school students. It's free to public school students, and the main reason is that I came from a public school," he said.
He added that this initiative aims to help public school students become more competitive with those from private or science high schools when taking college entrance exams like the UPCAT (University of the Philippines College Admission Test).
"I'm not trying to diminish what they have accomplished. I'm just looking at it through the lens of accepting that privilege exists in terms of economic and socioeconomic factors," he clarified.
Social aspiration
Driven by his social aspirations, he is choosing courses focused on creation and entrepreneurship.
"I want to expand, I want to scale, I want to reach more. And I'm also open to building more ventures while I'm here at Harvard, because Harvard has a lot of resources," he explained.
"For the second semester, it will be more about execution so that by the time I graduate, I'll be able to launch either a new business with a social impact or scale the business I've already founded in the Philippines," he added.
He is maximizing every opportunity available, even outside Harvard: "Right now I'm taking a class at the law school, a class at MIT, and I'm planning to take a class at the Kennedy School next semester."
'Hiya' (Shame/Timidity) nature of Filipinos
Val, whose 2023 valedictory address about systemic barriers went viral, shared with DAILY TRIBUNE how his first month at Harvard broadened his perspective on social inequality.
Citing an ethnographic study by Jessica Calarco, which notes that working-class children are often conditioned not to ask questions or interact with teachers, compared to the proactive behavior of middle-class students, he mentioned how deeply he relates to this. Despite being a "bibo" (active) student achiever who was always active in class recitations, there were still times he felt ashamed to ask questions.
"Learning how to ask is a skill, and it becomes social or educational capital. The more efficiently you accomplish things, the earlier you will finish, and that translates to better academic performance," he shared.
He pointed out that this "hiya" factor can perpetuate unequal educational outcomes. Because of this, he actively pushes himself out of his comfort zone to make the most of Harvard's environment.
The Philippines as an education hub
Val shared that he wants to see the Philippines become an education hub that attracts foreign students. Although some foreigners currently go to the Philippines to study English, it remains far behind neighboring countries like Malaysia.
He highlighted the need for government support on this matter, especially since it can contribute meaningfully to nation-building. Rather than other countries making use of Filipino talent, our own country could benefit without requiring citizens to go abroad.
Val maintains a positive outlook on Filipino capabilities, even while acknowledging current gaps in the education sector:
"I think in terms of academic performance, it can be honed. And we can't say that just because someone got into a certain university, they're smart, while someone who didn't get in is mangmang (ignorant), bobo (dumb), or mahina (weak-minded). It's probably just that their exposure to their environment was different from other people's," he explained.
