“How to be you, anak koooo?”
This was what Liza Diño-Seguerra, partner of singer-songwriter Ice Seguerra, exclaimed after her daughter was accepted to Stanford University.
The former executive director of the Quezon City Film Commission was one proud mom on Saturday, March 28, as she shared that her daughter, Amara Espinosa, had been accepted to Stanford, one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
“I am a proud Stanford mom!!! Our daughter just got accepted to STANFORD UNIVERSITY! Yup. THE Stanford University. Mechanical engineering,” Liza shared in a Facebook post.
“Never in a million years could I have imagined that my precious baby girl, who used to get B’s in Math, who had to take Kumon so her grades will improve, just got accepted [into] one [of] the top 3 universities IN THE WORLD,” she added.
As of 2025, the Center for World University Rankings ranks Stanford among the top three universities in the world, alongside Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“This week we’ve been celebrating Amara’s 18th birthday, but we’ve also been waiting on her college applications results. I didn’t realize this whole experience was gonna be such an emotional rollercoaster — not just for her, but also for me and Ice,” Liza wrote.
She also listed the other universities Amara applied to, along with their respective admission statuses.
These include Columbia University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Southern California and Harvard University.
“What?!? How to be you, anak koooo? My God, I’m so, so, so, so proud of you. Not everyone gets the privilege of choosing which school to go to,” Liza wrote with a pleading face emoji.
“But this isn’t luck. This is hard work. This is discipline. This is you showing up over and over again, even when it wasn’t easy. This is all you! So my love, embrace it. Be proud of it. Celebrate it because you have earned every single bit of this,” the matriarch added.
“And whatever you choose (I know you’ve chosen already), we’re right here with you. Always. We love you so much, Amara,” Liza concluded.
She accompanied her post with photos of a young Amara and her daughter’s reaction upon learning she had been accepted.
Liza’s post has earned 4,400 reactions and 160 comments from social media users who expressed their congratulations on the milestone.
“WOMEN IN STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Congratulations, Amara,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Oh, wow!!!! Congratulations!!! What an accomplishment indeed!” another commented.
“CONGRATULATIONS! What an achievement!!!” a different Facebook user wrote.
“Congratulations to Amara and to the proud parents! Go conquer the world!” another said.
“Wow, Liza Diño-Seguerra!!! This is amazing!!! Congrats to her hard work and the incredible way you have raised her,” a different Pinoy said.
Amara is Liza’s daughter from a previous relationship and is currently studying in the United States.
Meanwhile, Stanford is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Some of its alumni have founded major companies such as Google and Nike.
