Jan Cedric Hernandez

“Research had been a big part of my secondary education as I worked on different projects every year. No matter how simple or complex my experimentations were, I always enjoyed discovering things, exploring several testing methods, and gaining new experiences.

I am thankful to have the privilege to study in a science high school with talented and experienced research advisers. Through their expertise and guidance, I felt that I am always on the right path towards the completion of my projects. I was also lucky enough to participate and won some national and regional research competitions. However, I realized that the situation of some high school researchers was far different from mine. Some schools do not have access to a laboratory or even glassware to use in experimentations. Some researchers found themselves lost in writing their manuscripts as some research advisers cannot give enough attention due to many researches they are handling or some just do not have enough exposure and experience in doing quality researches.

Whenever people asked me why I chose materials engineering as my degree, I always say that my past research project related to my course and my research adviser who specializes in materials science greatly inspired me to take this road. Even though I am still an undergraduate, I think that I can give service to high school students aspiring to be scientists and engineers through the SIDHI mentorship. I believe that young Filipino researchers have huge potential in bringing solutions to problems in their community and our country. With this initiative, I hope that more high school researchers can also dive into the exciting world of research."