By Anjelika Gentugaya

By Laia De Roma

Within the twenty different classrooms that house the STEM students of the Ateneo Senior High School, even election season feels like a continuation of the same work the strand is known for: testing hypotheses, refining systems, imagining better structures from what already exists. It asks what works, what doesn’t, what can be improved — but this time around, turning these questions inward to its very community.  

Testing in Real Conditions

There is no strand more mythologized and romanticized than STEM; spoken of in equal parts admiration and apprehension, its reputation built on long nights, relentless deadlines, and the pride of those who thrive in it. But for its students, past that reputation is equally a space of trial and error. A living, breathing space shaped not only by formulas and frameworks, but by the individuals who inhabit them, question them, and ultimately carry them forward.

For Axel James Recla, his leadership began with initial uncertainty; daunted by the sheer number of students and the fear that there was no room for connection. But with time, that fear was dismantled, and after more than a year of being the STEM Chairperson, he admits that it has turned his initial impressions of a strand defined by its sizable population into something more of a paradox in its nature. STEM is both, in his words, “challenging yet comforting.” 

Recla doesn’t view the strand’s identity as solely tied to its curriculum. He describes its identity to be found in its students who, despite heavy academic responsibilities, “never fail to exhibit leadership in their own ways.” Leadership, he suggests, is not confined to titles, but emerges organically in small acts of initiative that ripple outward into something collective, witnessing his strandmates show up for themselves and one another time and time again. The true essence of the strand is forged in projects that demand late nights and simultaneously produce joy; in challenges that feel insurmountable and yet, somehow, are surmounted together.

This sentiment resonates too with Kellyn Anika Ramos, the current strand secretary, who describes STEM not as a monolith, but a mosaic. For her, STEM’s diversity extends beyond just the expected variations of science and mathematics. “The STEM strand, to me, is defined by its diversity, not particularly in academics, but also in personalities, perspectives, and passions,” she shared.

Even among those who haven’t truly gotten a chance to lead the strand can observe this complexity. Jared Hidalgo, a candidate running for the position of STEM Chairperson, marked admiration as a defining trait of his experiences: “the STEM strand is filled with so many cool people” — while also recognizing a certain distance that persists between them. He wishes to address that observed insularity within the strand, a fragmentation across sections that leaves many interactions unrealized.

For Hidalgo’s co-candidate, Cyan Blanca, the strand’s defining characteristic is its dynamism; never in static, always in motion. “STEM is dynamic and it will always be,” he says. In his campaign and platforms, he resists the notion of a single, unifying project. “There’s really no point in making a project that would unite all of STEM because that would only limit the students’ potential. It’s very dynamic and very unique across and amongst its individuals, yet somehow… connected into one family.”

Sustaining the Standard

As the strand’s Chairperson, Recla’s leadership began with a vision rooted in closeness. As a candidate, he imagined a strand that could bridge its own distances: “a strand that is closer together while having many opportunities presented to instill growth in the students.” This vision manifested in InterSTEMlar, his campaign that sought to cultivate environments where connection could occur naturally. Looking back, he speaks with satisfaction about the realization of the initiatives he pushed to realize: “we were able to bring STEM Connect… we were able to bring SiSTEM… and we also have projects for career exploration.”

But what he returned to more often was not the success of these projects, but the people who made them possible. For Recla, the defining gesture of his term was less execution and more enabling; the creation of conditions in which others could step forward too. Upon further reflection, Recla describes his hope for a track culture wherein students are not afraid to collaborate, and true collective effort is not an exception but the norm. And still, he imagines a STEM strand that “takes more initiative, where wellness and effective communication are prioritized.” 

Ramos’ initial vision upon first stepping into her role as secretary, she recalls, was ambitious: “to find ways to unite the strand… especially considering that STEM is the largest one.” Yet it was actually that kind of scale that motivated her. Rather than seeking grand gestures, she focused on creating opportunities, however small, for friendships to take root organically. Having personally struggled with connection, she sought to become what she calls “that small push that encourages people to reach out.” 

Similar to Recla, Ramos imagines a STEM that balances intellect with empathy: “a strand that is not only passionate but also compassionate; one that excels academically while rooted in empathy and social awareness.” Moreover, she envisions a strand that resists being defined solely by its acronym. “I don’t want the strand to be defined or confined by these labels alone,” she explains.

Looking forward, their hopes for the strand’s future are not radically different from what they once imagined as candidates themselves. Ramos emphasizes duality; the ability to “blend in” and “stand out,” to listen while also leading. She compliments that advice with a reassurance: “don’t be afraid to make mistakes… growth comes with uncertainty, and leadership is a continuous learning process.”

When asked about STEM’s next Chairperson, Recla hopes for someone with both passion and respect, someone committed to “build a better council, strand, and ASHS community, an inclusive environment, where every idea, hope, or aspiration is given importance.” 

For his successor, he calls for temperament in both passion and sustainability; leaders who can serve without burning out, who can communicate effectively and stand for what is right. “Prioritize the strand, but never forget yourself. As a leader, your goal is to uplift everyone, and this will not be effectively done if you yourself are stuck,” he advises. “Our goal must be to offer help and collaborate with others; we are a strand, a team that does not leave each other behind.”

Engineering the Next Chapter

The future of the strand’s leadership stands within its classrooms and has spoken at debates; the voices of Chairperson candidates Cyan Blanca and Jared Hidalgo hopeful, distinct, and resolute all at once.

Blanca’s hope for his desired term is both poetic and pragmatic. “I genuinely hope that whatever we learn here will be fully implemented in our future endeavors,” he shared, acknowledging the chaos, the workload, the affectionate complaints often heard from his strandmates. “It’s the hard task, the hard challenges, the tough academic workload that honestly… makes STEM, STEM,” Blanca asserts.

Beyond his hope for real-world application lies a more philosophical wish in being able to recognize value even in difficulty. Rather than viewing the track’s rigor as torment, he invites his peers to find the good within it. “I envision STEM to find the light in the littlest of things. I chose to run because I care for you. I care for STEM,” he says. It is not the title that compels him, but the desire to show the strand that it is family.

Hidalgo’s approach, while distinct, echoes a similar ethos of care. His vision begins with identity; the desire to cultivate a shared sense of pride: a STEM where students can say, without hesitation, that they belong to something larger than their class or section. “There doesn’t really seem to be that kind of identity or shared culture in STEM,” he observes. “And that’s what I hope to bridge.”

Through initiatives such as the proposed STEM Cup, he imagines collaborative activities that transform classes from just isolated groups into interconnected teams. And at the heart of his candidacy lies a personal desire to, in his words, “leave something better than I found it.” He thinks of leadership not as a position of authority, but as an act of service. “You don’t have to be perfect,” he reflects. “You just have to care. And care is something I have a lot of.”

A Shared Horizon

The STEM stand has always been associated with formulas, variables carefully arranged to produce precise solutions. But its truest equation might be less about numbers and more about people: diversity plus initiative; ambition tempered by empathy; rigor sustained by care.

In lieu of a definitive answer waiting to be solved is an ongoing process of not merely producing students of science and mathematics, but cultivating individuals capable of thinking, connecting, and caring in ways that extend far beyond its known fields. And so, even as formulas are passed down, refined and rewritten, something else is inherited alongside them: a way of seeing, a way of leading, a way of belonging.

Gentuga