5. Angelo Casimiro
17-Year-Old Inventor and Scholar
Inspired by those who have limited access to electricity, 17-year old Angelo Casimiro developed an innovation that converts foot pressure into energy. This invention was accepted into Google’s 2014 Science Fair, a gathering of the world’s brightest young minds. Last year, Angelo also received buzz from international tech magazines for his latest project, the life-sized replica of Star Wars: The Force Awakens lovable droid BB-8 made completely out of household materials.
(RELATED: WATCH: A 17-Year-Old Filipino Builds a Life-Sized Star Wars BB-8 Droid)
Now a Physics major at De La Salle University, Angelo continues to tinker and explore to find solutions to pressing social problems. Like any teenager, he’s also using his passion for the sciences for fun, and as a way to encourage his peers to embrace curiosity and ingenuity in their daily lives.
4. Rachel De Villa
23-Year-Old Founder of Cropital
Even as a young girl, Rachel de Villa began envisioning how to make the world a better place by taking up Computer Science in college and focusing on the integration of technology and design to improve crucial aspects of Filipino life including education, agriculture, and health services. Rachel envisioned a world where farmers are debt-free, dignified, and empowered, leading her to establish Cropital, a social enterprise that aims to provide local farmers access to scalable and sustainable financing.
It is no wonder Rachel was included in Forbes’ 2016 30 Under 30 Asia as one of today’s most impressive youth.
3. Kelsey Merritt
19-Year-Old International Model
Kelsey Merritt didn’t originally intend to become a model, but photos of her caught the eye of scouts from the prestigious international talent agency Wilhelmina Models. She has now appeared on covers and editorials for Nylon and Harper’s Bazaar, as well as global fashion and beauty campaigns for Uniqlo, Steve Madden, Shiseido, Missguided, and Vera Wang. Kelsey maintains a professional approach to modeling and always goes for her full 100% and beyond.
2. Nadine Lustre
22-Year-Old Actress and Singer
Performing brought Nadine closer to her source of happiness: making other people happy through something she created and worked hard for. Aside from being one of the country’s hottest and busiest young stars, Nadine pursues other passions close to her heart, such as singing, producing, directing, and editing short films.
1. James Reid
22-Year-Old Actor and Singer
James Reid started out as the Big Winner of Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash in 2010, a venue that opened up a lot of opportunities for James. Show business, however, reacquainted him with music, a childhood passion that gave him renewed purpose and direction. Now, he has two studio albums and is growing into a capable actor. His latest film with on- and off-screen sweetheart and fellow Yumbassador Nadine Lustre opened to an impressive Php15 million at the box office.
Francis Flores, Head of Marketing and Global Brand Chief Marketing Officer of Jollibee Philippines, says, “This year’s batch of Yumbassadors is proof of how millennials are: passionate, driven and determined, and always going for the best. This generation, the Gen Y or #ProudGenYum, are impressive individuals and each of them are out to change the world.”
I’m sure these impressive individuals will inspire a lot of people, regardless of age and gender, the same way they inspired me. Do you know anyone who deserves to be a Yumbassador someday? Please do tag them or leave their details below. We’d love to get to know them and possibly feature them on the site! 🙂
