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MANILA, Philippines – In a time when headlines drown in noise, disillusionment, and distraction, Robert Nelson “Tobi” Leung’s story cuts through like crisp mountain air at dawn – clear, grounding, and deeply necessary.
At 22, Tobi has just been named valedictorian of the Ateneo de Manila University Class of 2025. A summa cum laude graduate in BS Applied Mathematics, a champion debater, and soon an incoming master’s student at the London School of Economics, Tobi isn’t your typical wunderkind. He’s something rarer: honest, reflective, self-aware. And he’s from Baguio City.
His journey is one shaped by humility, empathy, and the wisdom of a Cordilleran upbringing – a narrative offering insight for youth, parents, educators, and policymakers asking: What kind of graduates does the country truly need?
Highland roots
“My friends joke that growing up in Baguio was an unfair advantage because it gave me strong calves,” he laughs.
Beneath the humor is deep reverence for home. He says, “I love Baguio. I will defend to the death that it is the most beautiful city in the country…. The people are humble, hard-working, and earnest. They care about the things that matter: family, faith, culture, community, and duty,”
Raised by a solo father and grandparents in an unconventional household, Leung credits his upbringing for keeping him grounded amid academic pressures.
“Dad finally got his Solo Parent ID during the pandemic. He wasn’t a tiger parent. He never even saw my college report cards. But he was always present,” he says. “That’s what mattered most.”
What drove Tobi wasn’t pressure, but presence – the quiet assurance that someone back home was rooting for him no matter what.
He said, “Knowing you have no excuse not to give it everything you have… you can’t help but be driven to become the best possible version of yourself.”
‘Pisay’ and the muddy road
His academic journey began at the Philippine Science High School-Cordillera Administrative Region (PSHS-CAR) campus, when it was still in its early days.
“[In] my first year in ‘Pisay,’ there wasn’t even a paved road up to the campus. You’d get dropped off around Agro and walk up the dirt road. During the rainy season, you’d have mud up to your knees,” Tobi recalls. (“Pisay” is a shorthand for “Philippine Science.”)
There was no swimming pool, no planetarium like other campuses, and barely enough classrooms when senior high rolled out. But Tobi refuses to romanticize the struggle.
“The campus has improved massively since I graduated, and I’m glad future generations won’t have to struggle the way we did…. A student from the provinces shouldn’t have to work 10 times harder just to earn their place in the classroom,” Tobi says.
YOUNGER TOBI. A young Tobi Leung at Philippine Science High School–CAR, where muddy roads and early morning walks began the journey that would take him all the way to the world stage. courtesy of Tobi LeungDiscipline over motivation
How does a teenager from Baguio rise to become the country’s top “Pisay” graduate and later, the top Atenean? Tobi says the secret isn’t brilliance, but grit.
Tobi says, “There’s a quote from Father Ferriols: ‘Huwag mong tanungin kung mahirap, tanungin kung mahalaga (Don’t ask if it’s difficult, ask if it’s important).’ Motivation is fickle. Some days you love what you do, most days you hate it. Discipline is what gets you through the bad days.
“You know you’re in the right place when you’d be willing to do the work even if no one ever cheered your name.”
Outside the classroom, Tobi made waves in debating, becoming second best speaker at the World Universities Debating Championship in 2023. But debating taught him more than argumentation – it taught him to listen.
Tobi says, “In university debating, you never get to choose your side. You have to research both sides deeply. You learn to articulate the nuances of opposing views. More than learning to speak, you learn to listen.”
It’s a skill, and a mindset that Tobi believes should be more deeply embedded in education.
“I’d love to see debating integrated into our curriculum. Imagine if more young people learned to defend a position they initially disagreed with. It breeds humility,” he adds.
SPOTLIGHT. Tobi Leung (right) and David Africa celebrate their win for Ateneo at the 2023 World Universities Debating Championship in Madrid, the first Filipino team to clinch the global title. courtesy of Tobi Leung/Madrid WUDC 2023From machine learning to public policy
In high school, Tobi designed a machine learning tool to detect bone fractures in X-rays. Now, he’s less interested in computer vision and more drawn to the crossroads of math and governance.
His undergrad thesis applied graph theory to analyze political dynasties in the Philippines.
“I will likely stay in the realm of economics and public policy,” he says. “I want to apply the analytical skills I’ve built to understanding and solving the most pressing problems facing Philippine society,” Tobi says.
By August, he’s headed to the London School of Economics. But his long-term plan is to come home.
Curiosity and culture
At home, the Leung household was filled with copies of Dune, thanks to his grandfather. “It’s always been my favorite piece of science fiction,” he says. But his tastes are broad. “I’ve seen everything – from She’s Dating the Gangster to Blade Runner, Kissing Booth (not by choice) to Chungking Express. I’m just a curious person by nature.”
Asked how his cultural identity shapes his worldview, he answers with quiet strength. “There’s a sort of stoic optimism I admire in Cordilleran culture. In Kankanaey, we call it ‘kasiyana’ – we shall overcome. It’s more than romanticized ‘Filipino resilience.’ It’s learning to take strength in each other, in our shared vulnerability.”
Redefining valedictory
Tobi says Ateneo doesn’t choose its valedictorian purely by grades. “There’s a long, elaborate selection process… We award people who’ve excelled, yes, but also people who’ve failed, struggled, and above all, dared to try,” he explains. “I just hope I can live up to that tradition.”
His speech, scheduled for June 20, will likely echo that spirit – a celebration not of perfection, but of perseverance, not just for the top of the class, but for those who fought, doubted, cried, and got up anyway.
‘You deserve to be in the room’
Asked about what advice he has for young people from far-flung provinces trying to find their way in elite spaces, Tobi doesn’t mince words.
“What I wish someone had told me… is that you have to believe you deserve to be in the room,” he says. “After I won the Philippine Schools Debating Championship in Grade 11, I had this crippling sense that I was a fraud. That it was a fluke.”
He pauses. “The hardest thing for kids like us is convincing ourselves we earned our seat at the table. That we deserve our time in the spotlight.”
Then he adds, “We are the lies we tell ourselves. We are who we pretend to be.”
In a country that often confuses loudness for leadership and charisma for competence, Tobi Leung is a breath of clarity. He’s not trying to sell an image. He’s just telling the truth.
And in that truth, there’s a blueprint for what excellence can look like in a more just, more grounded, more honest Philippines. – Rappler.com
