Briana Kimberly Samson
Application Essay
“We heroicize Orpheus not because he succeeds but because he tries, that endeavor alone is worthwhile,” says Playwright Anais Mitchell, an everlasting reminder to myself that summarizes how much I’ve tried. Though, unlike Orpheus who was the greatest bard in Greek mythos, my achievements came in the form of academic success. When asked, little Briana would tell you she’d become an astronaut and bring home a star in a jar for you. I’d try! I was an insatiably curious child and my family never got to hear the end of it. After entering QCSHS, the duty of answering these questions was passed onto my teachers, who both answered and snapped a question back at me. In these same classrooms, I discovered something that would rival my love for natural sciences- that is, my love for social sciences.
This led me to join extracurriculars that aligned and see how far I could push myself from my comfort zone, I told myself “I’d try.” Throughout these experiences, the Gender & Development Club and Electron exceptionally shifted my worldview. I participated in a myriad of from–and–to community events, even playing a great role in furthering my advocacies, particularly in empowering women in STEM. Though tiring, I’ll try and try. As an incoming Grade 11 student, questions about my career path were inevitable. It was confusing when your brain seemed to seek answers to human biology while your heart would beat for civil service. I realized that the gap between my love for natural sciences and social sciences was bridged by becoming a medical doctor. Though I am still unsure if this is final, one thing is certain: my heart lies in serving the public in pursuit of science.
However, I not only dream of becoming a doctor to serve the community but also to repay the care given by my family. I’ll try. As the daughter of a single mother, the world seems to have robbed us of time together for work. In turn, I was blessed to be raised by the rest of my family. One in particular is my grandfather, who suffered a stroke recently, which led my mother to resign and take care of him. This situation is also crippled by the distance between our main residence in Rizal and Kisay. 3-5 hour commutes are simply too arduous and expensive I’ve tried. Yet none of these challenges nor any distance have broken my commitment. There is still a long road to go before the letters Dr. are attached before my name, but carried in those 2 letters are the sacrifices that everyone, including myself, has made for me, and I hope that ANI will become a part of it too. I know it is not a sin to dream and to dream big with many aspirations. However, it’s difficult not to feel guilty at times knowing the weight it puts on my family, though I know I’ll one day lift these burdens off their backs. I will try.
Exit Essay – Tao Po
I’ve lived in many cities, walked through many streets, and knocked on many doors, yet I still return to the same two words: “Tao po.”
Writing it down does not quite capture how it lives in the voice of every Filipino. For me, it rises gently, the last syllable stretching upward, carrying my intention to connect with two simple words.
Over the years, I have come to realize that the ANI Scholarship Program was one of the most meaningful doors that opened to me. More than that, it was a home that welcomed me in.
Before I learned to knock with confidence, I was once a child who hesitated at every unfamiliar presence. I remember being seven, hiding from visitors who came to our home; Ateneo students who greeted us with a warm, “Tao po!” I would shrink away, mistaking their presence for intrusion rather than invitation. I was not yet ready to open my door.
But they kept coming back. Not out of obligation, but out of genuine care. Years later, I understood that their visits were acts of service, rooted in a desire to build connection and community. That realization changed me. It taught me that not all knocks are meant to disrupt the peace in our homes, some are meant to open new gateways to places we’ll soon find comfort in.
In many ways, ANI became that steady, patient knock in my own life.
Not all closed doors are locked; I just had to push. It allowed me to step into unfamiliar halls with courage, to join organizations, pursue competitions in fields like Mining Engineering, Robotics, and Biology, and take part in advocacies such as our school’s Gender and Development Club and Filipino Publication, Banyuhay. Where I once hesitated, I learned to move forward.
But beyond the opportunities, what I will carry most are the people.
The gatherings we shared—especially the evenings when Tito Dodo, Tito Phil, Tita Tere, and the alumni would visit—remain among my most cherished memories during my stay with ANI. Around the table, stories flowed as generously as the food. We listened to one another’s experiences as students of Kisay, the alumni’ journeys after high school, and the values that guided them through it all, now imparted unto us.
There was wisdom in every story, but also laughter, in the games we played, in the easy camaraderie that made us feel like we belonged to something larger than ourselves.
Their advice stayed with me in quiet ways. They spoke of and showed us what it means to strive for excellence while staying grounded. And through them, I began to fully realize that a true Scientian opens doors not just for oneself but also for others.
Looking back, I see how much has changed. I was once a child who ran away from knocks on doors, unsure of what waited outside. Now, I find myself seeking out those very opportunities; knocking, stepping forward, and welcoming what comes next.
Love, I have learned, does not divide; it multiplies. Every person who entered my life through ANI added to that abundance—my fellow scholars, my mentors, the alumni who returned to guide us. Each of them helped shape the person I am becoming.
And so, as I stand at the threshold of new beginnings, I return once more to the words that have guided me all along:
“Tao po.”
This time, I say it with gratitude. For every door ANI has opened for me, and for every door I now have the courage to open for others.
