๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ 2025 ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด, ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐น๐ค๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ
Interviews by Forum-Dimensions
Growing up in Cabatuan, Iloilo, Feb Anthony G. Rizano found his foundation in a household shaped by love and service. His late mother, Fe Rizano, a teacher, and his father, Ruben Rizano, a former jeepney driver, instilled in him values that quietly anchored his life: faith, diligence, and resilience. He would carry those values into the halls of West Visayas State University, where he would later rise to become its 2025 Most Outstanding Graduate in Academics and University Valedictorian with a GWA of 1.09 with a degree in Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics.
โI am proud of how much you have grown,โ Feb writes in a letter to his younger self, recalling the beginning of his college journey. โFrom your knowledge and skills to your character and resilienceโฆ even though you still struggle with mouth sores and pronouncing the letter โs,โ know that these small hurdles will not stop you.โ
Finding Grace in the Grind
Febโs academic record sparkles with achievement, but his path was never smooth. He often questioned if he was enough, especially during daunting challenges like his mathematical modeling project. โIt challenged not just what I knew, but who I was as a learner,โ he shared. But it was in those moments of near-surrender that he learned the most vital lesson: you donโt have to face challenges alone.
He credits his groupmates, mentors, and friends for helping him push through. โCollege teaches you many things,โ he said, โbut one of the most important lessons is that you do not have to face challenges alone.โ
For Feb, growth meant learning how to navigate the tension between joy and responsibility. Even while juggling a demanding academic load, he allowed himself space for the things he lovedโlike attending K-pop concerts. โThose concerts werenโt escapes,โ he said. โThey reminded me that growth does not have to mean giving up the things you love.โ
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ช๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ
Ironically, Feb didnโt always love mathematics. โIn elementary, I used to dread it,โ he confessed. But a Grade 7 teacher helped transform that fear into fascination. He began to see math as more than numbersโit became a language of patterns, a tool for beauty and insight. โThereโs something meaningful in those raw, unfiltered moments when logic meets intuition.โ
To those who struggle with the subject, Feb offers this reassurance: โStruggling in math doesnโt mean youโre incapable. It means youโre learning something meaningful. Practice makes permanenceโnot perfection.โ
Throughout college, Feb served as classroom chairperson for four years. But as his close friend Kaye Ann Etabag shared, โHe wasnโt just a leader in nameโhe was the kind who carried not just responsibilities, but our trust.โ
She adds, โFeb has never been the friend and leader who simply hands you the answers. Instead, heโs the kind who calls you out when youโre slacking, reminds you what youโre capable of, and challenges you to rise.โ
๐๐ป ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ
According to his friends, Febโs โlifeblood is coffeeโ and his demeanor walks the line between serious achiever and unexpected comic. His classmate Julie Ann Dela Cruz described him as โextraordinaryโฆ not just because of his intelligence, but because of the way he carries himself with kindness, humility, and heart.โ
Even Febโs juniors, like Vince Elumba, were moved by his example. โHe never made us feel inferior. He remained humble and approachable, treating everyone with respect,โ Vince said. โWe were able to become good seniors ourselves because we had your leadership to look up to.โ
On June 9, 2025, during the University Recognition Program, Feb Rizano was honored with multiple distinctions that celebrated his academic excellence, leadership, and global engagement. He received the Senator Manuel B. Villar Academic Excellence Award, recognition as Champion of the CBRC Teacher Education Quiz Bee 2025, and a Service Award for his role as Vice Chairperson of the University Senior Curriculum Council. Feb was also conferred the Presidentโs Recognition for International/National Awardees for representing West Visayas State University in the Pre-Service Student Teacher Exchange in Southeast Asia Batch 10, held at Universitas Ahmad Dahlan in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from January 30 to February 2026.
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐ณ-๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ
Febโs story is not one of perfection, but of persistence. โInspiration,โ he said, โis not something I wait for. It is something I choose to nurture within myself every day.โ He reminds us that even the best students are not immune to self-doubtโbut what sets them apart is how they respond.
West Visayas State University, with its culture of excellence and support, provided Feb with more than academic toolsโit nurtured his identity. โChoosing WVSU-COE BSEd Mathematics out of all the opportunities you had was the best decision you could have made,โ Feb says to his freshman self. โTrust that this path will shape you in ways you never imagined.โ
His class adviser, Dr. Roberto Sagge says this of this yearโs class valedictorian, โAs Feb’s adviser, I can confidently say he is an exceptional studentโdiligent, respectful, and intellectually sharp. He consistently submits high-quality work, engages actively in class, and approaches learning with genuine passion. Febโs integrity, humility, and strong problem-solving skills make him both a joy to teach and a standout in academics and character.โ
And shape him WVSU did. Into a mathematician. A leader. A friend. A future educator who sees numbers not just as calculationsโbut as windows into the wonder of the world.
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