Manuel is UP Visayas’ first summa cum laude. UP Visayas photo

An active student leader has made University of the Philippines’ history for being the first to get the highest Latin honors in its Visayas campus.

Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, a BS Applied Mathematics student, is named first summa cum laude graduate of UP Visayas.

His record-breaking grade? A nearly-perfect, general weighted average (GWA) of 1.099.

This also makes him the University valedictorian for graduating class of June 2015.

Manuel is no nerd though, having been a Chairperson of the College of Arts and Sciences Student Council, UP Visayas said in its report

“As an Iskolar ng Bayan I had to open my eyes to the realities around me and look for ways to become active in the affairs inside and outside of the University. My UP education instilled in me a desire to use my potentials to advance genuine social change,” Manuel said.

The “super achiever” aims to pursue a Master’s Degree after graduation.

“I am not really aiming to be rich or to use my talents to enrich myself materially. I have simple joys and I want to live a life of purpose,” the report also quoted him as saying.

John Gabriel Pelias, who graduated summa cum laude last 2011 in UP Diliman, currently holds the highest GWA, UP system-wide, with a grade of 1.016. The UP grading system has 1.0 for its highest grade and 5 for a failing grade.