National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) delegate Therese Dominique Paje dreams of becoming a civil engineer someday.

While there is a general impression that NSPC is dominated by youngsters inclined in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences, 12-year-old Therese plans on taking up the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand under the Academic Track when she reaches Senior High School.

It doesn’t mean, however, that Therese is no writer. In fact, her love for Science and Math fueled her interest in campus journalism. This year, she is one of the representatives of the Western Visayas Region for the Science and Technology Writing category of NSPC.

The said category requires a careful understanding of Science, as well as the skills in communicating technical and scientific information in a manner that can be understood by a wide variety of readers.

This is why prior to the competition, Therese had to practice daily and research on relevant and timely issues in the field.

But she did not discover her talent on her own. It was her mother who convinced her to join their school publication just this year. Her mother also accompanied her to the competition, which, for both of them, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I feel honored and grateful that I was able to reach NSPC,” Therese shared.

For her, this event encourages the youth to share their writing skills with other people, and to inculcate a culture of sportsmanship and camaraderie among learners.

Win or lose, Therese will continue honing her writing skills even until she achieves her dream career.

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