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A freshman with senior reading level
Jingco: Books are my escape
With a reading level close to that of a college freshman, Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior and Senior High School freshman Mary Heather Jingco reads to “escape reality.”
Mary Heather Jingco, right, poses for photo with her sister Neri, right, at her junior high graduation ceremony. She is the daughter of Riza and Nester Jingco. (Contributed Photo)
The 13-year-old student scored a 12.9 in her school’s annual Accelerated Reader Renaissance Learning test as a 9th grader.
Most children in her grade are expected to score around the 9.7 to 11.0 grade level category. Jingco’s score means her reading, vocabulary, and writing skills are equivalent to that of a senior student with an additional nine months of education.
According to the Accelerated Reader website, the test assists teachers and librarians in managing and monitoring children’s independent reading practice.
The same test is taken by the entire student body, and Jingco holds the title of top-scorer.
“I read to escape reality. Whenever I feel stressed because of school, I just open a book and I enter a whole new world,” she said. “Reading gives people more knowledge. It takes me places that I have never been before.”
She said her passion for reading was sparked when she joined the PGFC speech competition on Saipan as a Grace Christian School Rota representative. Her performance of the book A Prisoner’s Confession garnered her a first place spot her category.
Jingco said she has read over a hundred books since that moment. Her favorite? The Harry Potter series.
“I usually read to my sister and my dogs,” she told Saipan Tribune. “I love reading because sometimes reality can be stressful.”
Jingco skipped the 3rd grade and is also a two-time spelling bee winning representative for Rota. Last year, she placed in the top 15 spellers in the Guam regional competition.
Besides being a vivacious reader, Jingco is also adept with a pen in her hand. After completing her homework assignments and reading a few chapters of her novel of the week, Jingco writes anime fiction stories. Her work can be found on Wattpad, a website where readers and writers from across the globe publish their stories.
The Rota teen doesn’t plan to pursue a career in English, but hopes to become an animal biologist.
She urges other youth like her to read more books. “Reading helps us not only get smarter, but also understand concepts and the people around us,’ she said.
