From his own seven-year college journey to Eliana’s UPenn honors, Kim Atienza reflects on perseverance, pride, and family milestones.
Seven years for Kim Atienza. Four years with summa cum laude honors for his daughter, Eliana Atienza.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Kuya Kim proudly shared that Eliana graduated from University of Pennsylvania with summa cum laude honors and received the Elaine Simon Award for social justice and community contribution. But beyond the achievement, Kuya Kim emphasized that Eliana’s journey “was not without challenges,” praising her passion, persistence, and resilience.
The emotional moment also reminded many of Kuya Kim’s own unconventional college story.
The TV host previously shared that it took him seven years to finish college. He first studied Education at University of Santo Tomas, where he became a dean’s lister and batch president before discovering his love for the arts, museums, and theater.
He later transferred to University of the Philippines Diliman to pursue Film and Audiovisual Communication at the UP Film Institute.
From struggling through his own academic journey to celebrating his daughter’s milestone, fans pointed out the touching full-circle moment for the TV host.
Different timelines, different journeys—but for the Atienzas, persistence clearly runs in the family.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Kim Atienza proudly shared that Eliana graduated from University of Pennsylvania with summa cum laude honors and received the Elaine Simon Award for social justice and community contribution.
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