I knew Andrea Dilao was a legend even before I met her for an interview. Andrea Dilao, who wears the title “Miss Mason,” is not only famous for her outstanding work for the Student Council Association (SCA), but also for her role as a volleyball captain, her excellent tennis skills, and the fact that she proudly displays her Filipino roots. When I learned she also took journalism during her freshman and sophomore year, I asked my classmates how they would describe Andrea.

“She is the powerhouse of our grade,” senior Korinne Wills said.

“She is probably one of the most trusted students amongst teachers,” Mr. Laub, journalism teacher, agreed.

“No one works harder than Andrea,” senior Kate Karstens said. “She’s constantly looking out for others and putting their needs before hers.”

When I suggested to Andrea that I would like to write a profile about her, I immediately learned why Andrea has such a great reputation. She replied in less than a second and even offered to drive me to Panera so I could interview her.

After starting to know more about Andrea, I wondered how she would describe herself. She characterised herself as dedicated, hardworking, passionate, confident.

All those characteristics combined perfectly fit into Andrea’s work in the Student Council Association. Andrea has been active in the SCA every year since fourth grade, except during her eighth grade year.

“I like organizing things, then it translated into people, from there it turned into I just want to help people. I got really passionate about doing that,” Dilao said.

Helping people is not the only reason why Andrea has such a passion for the SCA. Throughout the course of the interview, she emphasized several times her remarkable love for the class of 2017.

“I can’t express how much I love everybody in my class. I absolutely adore everyone. I will do anything that I can possibly do in my power to make everyone in my class happy,” Dilao said.

At the end of her junior year, Dilao drafted a letter to the principal explaining why her class should get their senior privileges earlier. She was convinced that the class of 2017 excelled in Mind, Body and Character and therefore should be rewarded. She asked her peers in a Facebook group to share their stories and was overwhelmed by all the great accomplishments. She summed it up in an impressive letter, about eight to nine pages long, and her hard work was paid off by success.

Andrea not only has a passion for her fellow students and the SCA; she also talked in detail about her love for her native country, the Philippines.

“I could talk for days, I could write an essay about what it means to be a Filipino,” she said when I asked about her roots.

Andrea has not always been a part of American society. In fact, she got her citizenship only two years ago, after she and her family had been here for over nine years.

Andrea was born in Batangas City in the Philippines. Both of her parents and her sister were also born there, which makes her 100% Filipino. She lived a peaceful life up until her parents decided to move to the States when she was around seven years old.

“I remember when we first moved here, my mom’s older sister was already here,” she said. “We lived in the Oakwood apartments together. There was such a huge supportive presence of Filipinos in Oakwood, that was one of the most memorable times of my childhood. Spending all this time with these Filipino kids and families all the time, we had so many parties.”

When we exchanged experiences about our home countries, I found some common ground, since I just moved to the US and I know how special the first memories are.

I saw a sparkle in her eyes when I asked her about those memories. She literally couldn’t stop talking and she described a picture of her life: from what her house and her two dogs looked like to traditions in the Philippines. Her detailed descriptions made it easy for me to picture a miniature Andrea having fun and making great memories under the Filipino sun.  

Her trip to the Philippines four years ago is one of her favorite memories.

“When I was in eighth grade we went back for my grandparents’ 50th anniversary, and that was literally one of the best moments of my life… I haven’t been back since,” Dilao said.   

During the interview, I slowly realized how much being a Filipino means to Andrea. It is an undeniable part of her identity.

“I absolutely consider being Filipino is one of the things that most affects me, it’s part of who I am. It’s one of the biggest factors that contributed to who I am today. Absolutely. No doubt,” Dilao said.

However, being an American is still very important to Andrea.

“[Becoming an American citizen] did feel extremely special. I remember when [my parents] came home and said they passed the test. It was a really exciting moment,” Dilao said. “I had already felt so part of American society that it didn’t even occur to me that I wasn’t even a citizen. The only times that it stood out to me that I wasn’t is when I went out of the country – mostly to go back to the Philippines – I didn’t have a blue passport: I had a maroon one,” she said.

Her passion for people, her Filipino heritage, and her hardworking attitude to make her American dream come true is the perfect explanation for why she was chosen Ms. Mason. After this interview I can confirm it myself: Andrea really is a powerhouse.