21/09/2026
Well, have you heard about Hillary Diane Andales? She is a fellow Filipino who won a global science contest and a scholarship. Because of her achievement, universities accepted her, including MIT, Princeton, and Stanford. She grew up in Albuera, Leyte, listening to her parents’ stories about scientists instead of fairy tales.
Before Super Typhoon Yolanda hit Leyte in 2013, officials warned her family about a storm surge. However, they did not know what a storm surge was. Instead of evacuating, they stayed in their one-story house. Then, seawater rushed into their home. It forced them to break through the ceiling and hold onto its steel roof frames. Fortunately, everyone survived.
After that experience, she learned that a storm surge is an unusual rise in seawater caused by a storm. From then on, she made videos informing people about things they needed to know. In 2016, her mother told her about the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a contest for short science videos. Her entry explained the path integral, a physics method that considers every possible path a tiny particle could take.
Moreover, her video received the most votes, earning her school a science laboratory and sending her to the finals. Although she did not win the grand prize, she was only eighteen years old, which was the age limit, so she had one more chance. She spent almost a year preparing a video about relativity and reference frames. These ideas explain why the same movement can look different to someone standing still and someone who is moving.
More than 11,000 entries came from 178 countries. Her three-minute video won the grand prize and earned her school another laboratory worth $100,000. Together, her scholarship and the two prizes were worth about ₱20,000,000.
She chose the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for her physics training and earned her degree there. She then began a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. Today, she studies ancient stars and continues to explain science. In 2025, she won an award for excellence in teaching.
Her hard work paid off as she brought pride to her fellow Filipinos. Her determination inspired others to learn and share knowledge, just as she did. She earned the respect of many people around the globe. Her spark became a light for others—a reminder that even a young Filipino can shine brightly in the world of science.
For students who dream big, Hillary’s story is a reminder that great dreams do not become reality overnight. You may face challenges, failures, and moments when your dream seems too far away. Do not be afraid to start small, keep learning, and use every experience as a step forward. Your background, age, or circumstances do not have to limit what you can achieve. Like Hillary, you can turn your curiosity into knowledge, your knowledge into action, and your dreams into something that can inspire others.
Indeed, Hillary Diane Andales is a bright star whose passion for science continues to inspire others.
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