After spending his entire academic life in the Jesuit system, Kristian Porter has made a difficult decision — to leave Ateneo de Manila University.
The 19-year-old from Cebu informed Blue Eagles team manager Epok Quimpo of his departure on Monday.
“This was a really tough decision,” said Porter. “I spent my elementary years at Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu before moving to Ateneo de Manila for high school and college.
“Ateneo has always been home to me, but I had to make this choice — even if I don’t have concrete plans yet on where I’ll go next. I believe it’s a necessary step for my personal growth.”
Porter transferred to Ateneo de Manila in Grade 9 and went on to make waves in the school’s boys’ basketball team. He earned Mythical Team honors twice in his two years of high school competition.
In his freshman year with the Blue Eagles, the 6-foot-5 forward posted averages of 6.57 points and 6.86 rebounds in 14 games — a solid start to his collegiate basketball career.
Porter admitted that his transition to university life had its share of hurdles.
“My first semester was pretty rough,” he admitted. “But I took it as a learning experience and really put in the effort to turn things around in the second.”
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Still, balancing academics and athletics proved challenging.
“I wasn’t able to train with the team for most of the second semester because I had to catch up on my schoolwork,” he revealed. “It was a hard decision to step back, but I needed to focus on my studies at the time.”
Now, Porter believes a fresh start will allow him to grow further as a student and as an athlete.
“There’s no discontentment at all,” he clarified. “I’m just looking for personal growth and a change of scenery. That’s really what this is about.”
Despite his decision to leave, Porter made it clear that he hasn’t committed to any new school just yet.
“I haven’t talked to any school,” he said. “Right now, I just need to rest. It’s been a long year — physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
Kristian, the son of Edmund Porter — owner of the Porter Marina Yacht Club in Liloan, Cebu — expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Ateneo community, both in Quezon City and Cebu.
“I’m really thankful for everything,” he said. “To Boss MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan), my coaches, teammates, professors, and managers — thank you for the opportunities and lessons. Even though I never met my scholarship sponsor, I’m forever grateful to him. I’ll carry everything I’ve learned with me as I take this next step.”
