BB Gandanghari graduates summa cum laude from second degree in California
Former showbiz personality BB Gandanghari proudly announced her latest triumph on Instagram: graduating with the highest academic distinction, summa cum laude, from the Los Angeles Film School.
Dressed in her black toga, she celebrated earning her second degree, a Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business.
"#SummaCumLaude: Be All that You can Be. Education is a lifelong passion," the actress wrote in the caption.
Aside from graduating with flying colors, Gandanghari was also awarded Student of the Month and a member of the Honor Society of Los Angeles.
For Gandanghari, earning such a high academic honor required immense effort combined with "hard work, discipline, perseverance, and determination."
"Being Summa Cum Laude is not without hard work, discipline, perseverance, and determination. As much as I am proud of this achievement, I am also proud as a working student of having a perfect attendance and never [being] late in my classes during the entire course," she wrote in a separate post.
In January, she shared in an interview with Boy Abunda that her dream of becoming a creative producer and director is what drives her decision to return to school.
"I want to be a creative producer and a creative director, and also that was the reason why I went back to school, kasi part iyun ng sinasabi kong mahirap sa transition, because when I started transitioning yung potential ni Rustom, wala na lahat iyon," she told the host.
She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Saint Louis University in Baguio.
Gandanghari entered the showbiz industry as Rustom Padilla and rose to prominence as an action star. She eventually came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community during her stint in the 2006 season of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition before undergoing gender confirmation surgery three years later in 2009.
When she moved to the US, Gandanghari had her name and gender legally changed by a Los Angeles court.
