In April 2023, a young Cebuano student named Kian Maximus Torróntegui Bayno posted on Facebook about his experience applying to colleges. "A dream came true for me very recently," Kian wrote, adding that in addition to being admitted into five prestigious local and international universities, he had also received scholarship offers totaling more than 27.8 million pesos.

Kian's remark, which was overflowing with thanks for everyone who had helped him along the way, echoed a stirring message of promise and hope. His life serves as an example of the tenacity, aspiration, and promise of Filipino youth. In addition to his sense of accomplishment as he gets ready to start his studies at Pitzer College in California, one of the top 30 liberal arts colleges, Kian also has a vision for his own country.

After graduating from the prestigious Maria Montessori International School in Cebu City, Kian was able to win a full scholarship to Pitzer College, a prominent school renowned for its active intellectual community. He plans to major in both BA Economics and BA Public Policy Analysis, and when he returns from his studies abroad, he hopes to contribute to maintaining good governance in the Philippines.

Kian wrote on Facebook that he intended to go back to the Philippines so he could "help build a more just and democratic society with a government that is truly in the service of the Filipino people."