This was proven by Tangub City, Misamis Occidental pride Dominique Rae 'Nikki’ Urbiztondo, a former chess champion who recently graduated from Summa Cum Laude after completing her Bachelor of Science in Basic Human Studies, a preparatory medicine course, at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
The success of Nikki, both in sports and academics, is something kids nowadays should emulate.
Nikki’s father, Rey Urbiztondo, who is an Arena Chess Grandmaster, said her daughter loved chess even when she was young.
Her time for playing and studying chess was diverted when she became a valedictorian in elementary. Since then, "medyo didto na siya na focus sa eskwela,” Urbiztondo said.
From elementary to high school, her daughter has been a chess champion not only in Misamis Occidental but also in Davao City.
Availing of a DOST scholarship with the Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS-SMC), otherwise known as Pisay, Nikki became chess champion at the Mintal, Davao City-based institution for five consecutive years.
She also represented Pisay in the annual Davao Chess Amateur Athletic Association or Davao City’s selection for the regional meet and took part in at least three events of the now-extinct Shell Active Chess.
In college, Nikki decided to focus more on academics, and it was rewarded with her ending up as a Summa Cum Laude (Romeo Braceros Jr.).
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