A Grade 12 student from The Philippine School – Dubai is heading to Cambridge, Massachusetts next month after earning a spot among the top 12 finalists in the 2026 International Research Olympiad — a competition that will take her to Harvard University from June 19 to 21.
Paulean Amelly Mikowle M. De Guzman, 17, an ABM student, has already made a name for herself on the international academic circuit. In the GeniusCerebrum International Cyber Olympiad (GICO), she posted a 99% accuracy score against thousands of contestants from over 54 countries, earning both a Certificate of Genius and a Certificate of Excellence. GICO is conducted by GeniusCerebrum, a US-based, ISO 9001:2015-certified educational platform that tests students on technology and internet-related topics through a fully online, proctored exam. The platform has enrolled more than 230,000 students and 500 schools worldwide across multiple Olympiad categories covering mathematics, science, English, STEM, art, and spelling.
For Paulean, that result was less a product of last-minute cramming and more the payoff of years spent mastering digital tools on her own terms.
“My preparation for the Olympiad didn’t begin a few weeks before the exam — it began years ago, without me even realizing it,” she shared with TGFM. “Since elementary school, I’ve been an avid user of productivity platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Canva, and Adobe, and the pandemic pushed me to master them even more.”
The International Research Olympiad operates differently from a typical science fair. Rather than presenting an original study, participants sit through a timed exam that includes multiple-choice questions, open-ended items, and oral responses drawn from selected research papers. Paulean credits her research teacher and her school’s Research Society for sharpening the critical thinking skills that carried her into the finals.
The organizing committee has issued her a formal invitation letter for visa support and committed to covering her accommodations in the United States. She will compete representing both the Philippines and the UAE — two countries she considers home, having roots in Tarlac and Nueva Ecija before growing up in Dubai.
“It feels surreal in the most beautiful way,” she said of the Harvard invitation. “I carry with me the love of two homes — the Philippines and the UAE — and the unwavering support of my family, friends, and teachers. This opportunity is not mine alone; it is a gift I now offer back to the people who believed in me long before I believed in myself.”
She attributes much of her drive to her parents, Mary Jane and Ramon De Guzman, whom she calls her greatest supporters. Her recognition as Youth Ambassador of the Year by FTEC-AFTA further cemented a leadership identity she describes not as standing at the front, but as lifting others forward.
“Put yourself out there,” she said, addressing fellow young Filipinos in the UAE. “The real world is the greatest classroom, and every opportunity — whether you win or not — will shape you in ways you never expect.”