The province of Ilocos Norte on Monday honored a 24-year-old resident who graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) as a scholar with “outstanding achievements.”
Second Lieutenant Charles Javier Juan Calapini Jr. earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science from the prestigious US military service academy last year.
“2Lt. Calapini, Jr. deserves the province’s appreciation and commendation for his outstanding achievements,” provincial board member Saul Paulo Lazo said in passing the unnumbered, two-page resolution commending Calapini on Monday.
The resolution, signed and approved by Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc, lauded the Burgos town native for receiving numerous awards while studying in the Colorado Springs academy.
Calapini’s awards included People’s Choice Award 2024 during the Jean Bartik Computing Symposium in the United States Naval Academy; first runner-up on a project during USAFA Spark Tank 2024; and first runner-up at the Capture the Flag competition during the Rocky Mountain Cyber Space Symposium 2023.
“This is not just a personal milestone for me but also an embodiment of the Ilocano spirit,” Calapini told the Philippine News Agency on Monday. “As an Ilocano, we do our best in our work and exemplify the values of our heroes such as our very own General Artemio Ricarte from Batac, Ilocos Norte. The unwavering spirit of being a proud Ilocano is that whatever challenges we may face, we will be able to accomplish it.”
Ricarte is regarded as the Father of the Philippine Army and was the first Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The only son of Regional Trial Court Judge Charles Javier Calapini and Melanie Calapini, a medical technologist, Calapini was a dean’s lister at the Philippine Military Academy. He was one of just two who qualified under the Foreign Pre-Commission Training Institution program for USAFA in 2019.
Judge Calapini said he was hoping his son would follow his footsteps but just the same, he supports his career path and thanked the provincial board for honoring him. (Leilanie Adriano)
(Source: PNA)