MANILA, Philippines – John Kerwin Enriquez, a proud native of San Nicolas, Batangas, has always led a life grounded in simplicity. His dream was never extravagant—just to pass the licensure exam for mechanical engineers. Nothing more, nothing less.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/DOST-Batangas |
By his own admission, Kerwin was never the top of the class. He was an irregular student, often needing remedial exams just to get by.
Yet in August, this alumnus of Batangas State University did what even he once thought impossible: he emerged as the topnotcher of the Mechanical Engineer Licensure Examination (MELE), outshining 1,553 passers from a pool of 3,808 examinees. With this victory, he also earned the distinction of being the first engineer in his family.
What makes Kerwin’s achievement remarkable is not just the medal of excellence but the values that carried him through—his focus on the fundamentals, his ability to see setbacks as mere stepping stones, and his unyielding faith that kept him steady under pressure.
For Kerwin, topping the exam was not the fulfillment of a grand ambition but a beautiful consequence of perseverance, humility, and trust in the process.
His story proves that brilliance is not measured solely by consistent grades, but by determination, resilience, and faith strong enough to withstand challenges.
According to some reports, he never wished for nor prayed to God to be a topnotcher; he only asked to make it through. It’s the literal case of “asking for bread but being given a burger.”
His greatest motivation was a burning desire to someday carry the title of Engineer before his name.
When asked what advice he could offer to future engineering aspirants, he emphasized the importance of self-belief, perseverance, and patience in the journey.
Congratulations, Engr. John Kerwin Enriquez, truly inspiring!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express