She grew up far from the comforts of city life. Neña Rose A. Corpin spent her childhood working on her family’s farm, high in the mountains of Caibiran, Biliran, where the forest was both her playground and her teacher. 

Together with her parents, she would spend weeks in their bahay kubo, living simply, relying on the land for their livelihood. The farm was their bread and butter, and Neña’s connection to it went deeper than she realized.

“Every morning, I’d wake up to the sounds of the forest—the rustling leaves, the birds singing. I didn’t know it then, but I was growing up with the forest as part of me,” she recalls.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Neña found herself back in the mountains after high school, living in their farm while the world seemed to pause. Those days in the quiet solitude of nature allowed her to contemplate, sparking questions about her future and the path she wanted to take.

“I was up there, surrounded by green, and all I felt was peace,” she says. “I spent a lot of time in the mountains with my family, helping out and reflecting on my next step—choosing the course I would pursue in college.” And with encouragement from her father and advice from relatives, Neña soon realized her calling: forestry. 

Little did Neña Rose Corpin know that her simple decision to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Forestry would forever etch her name in the history of Biliran Province State University. Last November 5, her name echoed across social media and news outlets after ranking first in the October 2024 Forester Licensure Examination with an excellent rating of 92.6%—the first-ever topnotcher from BiPSU’s Biliran Campus. 

Trained to be excellent

Born on November 10, 2000, Neña believes that her childhood wasn’t typical playtime. Instead, she spent her early years learning the value of hard work and resourcefulness. With her father, Edgar R. Corpin, as a farmer and her mother, Isabel A. Corpin, as a dressmaker, Neña’s family found creative ways to make income to support her and her four siblings.

From the time she was in second grade, she stepped in to sell ice candy her mother made, taking over her older sister’s job once she graduated elementary school.

Her small business ventures didn’t stop there. She sold produce like calamansi, ginger, and bananas from their farm. “I was either in the bukid (farm) or the barrio selling ice candy,” she recalls. 

Sometimes, on weekends and during free time, she would join her father and brother in pamamagol, collecting coconut shells to sell. This extra source of income was her another way of contributing to the family while building her own savings.

“Hindi naman ako magastos and I have a lot of savings from my extra hustles in the mountains,” Neña shared. Her self-reliance was a point of pride—not just for her, but for her mother, too. “I did it so Mama wouldn’t have to worry about giving me baon for school,” she revealed.

She also admitted that it was tough at times, especially when she missed out on nap time like other kids her age. “Reason why hindi na ako tumangkad kasi hindi ako nakakatulog tuwing tanghali like some of the kids my age," she joked. 

But this early exposure to both work and academics laid the foundation for her future achievements. Despite the extra responsibility, Neña graduated as the class valedictorian in Mainit Elementary School in 2014, and kept excelling as a consistent achiever during her high school at Information and Communication Technology High School of Eastern Biliran (ICTHSEB).

From procrastinator to perseverant

In 2020, she enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Forestry at BiPSU-Biliran Campus. In her early college years, Neña admits she struggled with procrastination, a habit that developed in part due to the pandemic’s disruption. Adjusting back to academic life was difficult, and although her focus at the time was simply to pass, the idea of excelling wasn't yet a priority.

“I persevered,” she admitted. “But only because I want to have passing grades. I did not mind being at the top.”

This changed in her later college years. By her third and fourth year, Neña had transformed her habits, rising early—often at 4 a.m.—to prepare for exams, take notes, and gradually work her way up to passing, and sometimes topping, semi-final and final exams.

Eventually, she earned her Forestry degree just on May 23 this year. 

Mindset of a topnotcher

Right after graduation, she availed of the free review program of BiPSU together with her 10 classmates. During the review for the Forester Licensure Examination, they were housed at Biliran Campus for five months.

Neña revealed that her review journey was rigorous and systematic. Beginning in June, the review spanned five intensive months, and while the initial weeks were challenging, Neña’s approach took shape in August.

She dedicated time to write down all questions and formulas on bond paper to retain the concept to her memory. “Sometimes you have to write it with your own hand to fully understand it,” she shared. Aside from writing, she also created flow charts and calendars to count down to exam day, making sure every day counted in her review plan.

By September, her routine was set. Neña woke up early each morning to tackle a self-imposed quota of 300 to 500 questions, which helped her monitor her progress and identify areas for improvement across the four major exam subjects.

Neña’s study strategy became even more intensive when October came, with wake-up times shifting to 4 a.m. to allow for additional practice. She reduced distractions like social media and refrained from visiting home for two months, focusing on building confidence and retention through her study methods.

During her review, she has not just mastered content but also harnessed how to self-motivate. She kept a hand-written note in plain sight—a single question that she read every day: “Top ten or just passing?” This simple question became her motivation and reminder throughout the grueling review process.

Whenever she felt weary or distracted, she reminded herself of the choice she had: to merely pass or to push herself to be among the best. “It became my mantra,” she explained. “Every time I looked at it, I’d ask myself if I was really putting in the effort for a top spot, and that little reminder kept me accountable to my goals.”

On October 29-30, she took the October 2024 Licensure Examination for Foresters in Tacloban City. 

Winning moment

The moment Neña found out she had topped the board exam was as surreal as it was overwhelming. Busy in her kitchen, reading a Wattpad story while cooking, she didn’t expect her life to change that day. 

A text from her sister congratulating her on being ranked first took her by surprise, and at first, she brushed it off. Curiosity finally won, and as she read the message again, reality began to dawn. Then a classmate called, confirming the news. 

Still in disbelief, it took a few moments before the truth settled in, and when it did, tears and laughter filled her kitchen as she tried to process her joy.

Neña had never set her sights on being Top 1; her dreams felt more grounded. She’d prayed for Top 2, and later, she’d even set her hopes on simply passing. But as she began to laugh through her tears, she imagined God gently reminding her not to doubt herself. 

“It’s like God was saying, ‘Who are you kidding? You’re a child of God. Don’t downplay your capabilities and efforts’,” she said.

A place in history

Neña’s achievement isn’t just a personal victory; it’s a historical milestone for Biliran Province State University. As the first topnotcher in forestry from BiPSU-BilCam and the first rank one notcher in the entire BiPSU system, Neña has set a new standard and proved that great accomplishments can come from humble beginnings.

“I hope that by being the first, I’m showing others that you can achieve big dreams, no matter where you come from,” she says. “It’s not about having everything; it’s about giving everything you have.”

Neña hopes that her story will inspire others to pursue their dreams, especially those who, like her, come from modest backgrounds. She believes that anyone can succeed with perseverance and a genuine connection to their purpose and dreams.

Presently, Neña is still enjoying her success. After topping the board exam, she plans to do a job that would give her genuine fulfilment.

Asked about the specific path she wanted to pursue, she just shrugged off. 

“It's the world to show and it's a quest for me to find out,” she smiled.

#WoWBiPSU