“My first reaction was I didn’t want to believe it. But it’s gradually sinking in,” said Marianne after the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) released the results Wednesday, June 22.

The graduate of Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U), or formerly known as Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST), ranked first among the 3,037 passers with a passing rate of 82.40 percent.

“Wala gid na nagsulod sa pinsar ko. Basta, maka pasar lang board exam (I did not aim for it. It did not even cross my mind. All I wanted was to pass the board exam),” she told Manila Bulletin in a phone interview Thursday, June 23.

Marianne credits her strong faith for passing the exam.

“Na realize ko nga nga grabi gahum sang Ginoo. Siya guid ang nag-guide sa akon nga maka sabat sa tanan nga questions (I realized the power of God, who guided me to answer all the questions),” Marianne said.

The newly minted architect admitted that architecture was not her initial choice as she wanted to become a nurse.

“But when I was in high school, I found that I was more interested in the arts and I had a keen interest in the designs of buildings. That’s when I decided to pursue a college course in architecture,” Marianne said.

While she initially wanted to work abroad, Marianne is now thinking of working in the country first. She also plans to pursue a master’s degree and also earn a license as a master plumber.

Her feat also puts ISAT U in the spotlight as it was the first for the university, which has offered a full-pledged architecture course for only over a decade.

Marianne’s rating was above those who earned architecture degrees from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), University of the Philippines (UP Diliman), Adamson University (AU), or Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).

“She is one of my hardworking and diligent students,” Architect Angelo “Jujun” Duarte told Manila Bulletin in a separate interview.

Marianne is the only child of an electrical engineer who works onboard an international ship and a housewife. She went to Alphacrest Academy for elementary education and Iloilo National High School for her secondary education.