FROM men's basketball champions to college degree holders, six members of the Ateneo Blue Eagles joined the university's graduating class of 2023.
Three-time UAAP champion and Season 84 MVP Ange Kouame led six Blue Eagle cagers and 46 Ateneo student-athletes who were conferred with their undergraduate degrees on Friday.
Kouame, who will travel to Lithuania to join Gilas Pilipinas' training camp for the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup, finished with a degree in AB Interdisciplinary Studies.
"It's been an amazing journey in the Ateneo. Made a lot of friends and I found a family here," said Kouame.
"Thankful to everyone in the community and the people who made it possible for me to be in this position," he added.
Returning Blue Eagles and Master student-athletes Geo Chiu (AB International Studies) and Jason Credo (AB Communication) will don the blue-and-white once more in Season 86 for Ateneo.
Meanwhile, Converge team manager Jacob Lao and pro league cagers Matthew Daves (Makati) and JC Fetalvero (Phoenix) also finished their degrees in BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship, AB International Studies, and AB Management Economics respectively.
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin expressed his pride and delight in his players' academic milestones.
"The relationships I have with these players are treasures of my career. I think they bring honor to our team and to the sport with the work that they do," Baldwin said.
"They humble me with their dedication to this university. Wish them nothing but success for what lies ahead," he added.
This was echoed by Ateneo team manager Christopher Quimpo, who lauded the commitment and dedication of the university's 'exceptional athletes.'
"Most people tend to walk away from difficulties and adversities in sports or academics. However, there are those exceptional athletes who not only rise above these challenges but also emerge victorious, even during the trying times of the COVID era," Quimpo said.
"Their triumph in the UAAP serves as a testament that overcoming obstacles is possible. It underscores the idea that it is our response to adversity that shapes us into the individuals we ultimately become."
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