VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — For some students, a scholarship is the difference between continuing their education and having to put their aspirations on hold. For others, it becomes a reminder that the opportunity to learn carries a responsibility to help others do the same.
This was the message behind the SCG Sharing the Dream Scholarship Program’s 18th-anniversary celebration on September 11 at Acacia Hotel Manila in Alabang, where scholars, alumni, educators, and representatives from Thailand and the Philippines gathered to mark the program’s continuing efforts to expand educational opportunities across ASEAN.
Since its launch in 2008, the program has supported more than 4,000 Filipino students. This year, 290 scholars in the Philippines received assistance, continuing an initiative that seeks to help young people pursue their education despite financial challenges.
The gathering also highlighted the continuing education partnership between the Philippines and Thailand, including the contributions of Filipino teachers working in Thailand and the importance of educational cooperation in developing young people across the region.
An opportunity to pursue a dream
For Ma. Cecilia Ganalongo, the previous SCG scholar who attended and delivered a speech during the celebration, the support meant being able to pursue a college education when her family’s financial situation made that possibility uncertain.
Before entering college, she had considered working instead. She recalled applying for a cashier position at a gas station, where she eventually worked from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. and worked side hustles for additional income.
“If I didn’t continue college, I might still be there,” she said during an interview.
The scholarship helped change that direction. After completing her bachelor’s degree in secondary education, she continued her studies toward a master’s degree. She is also waiting for the results of the Department of Education’s teacher ranking process.
Her journey with SCG began in 2015. Since then, she became a scholar of SCG and maintained her academic performance throughout her studies. She recalled graduating from senior high school with honors and later receiving Latin honors in college.
But her experience was not without challenges. Before college, she had considered putting her education on hold to work. The scholarship, she said, helped make it possible for her to continue studying and eventually pursue her chosen profession.
“I could say that SCG helped me more than financially,” she said. “They helped me make the path towards my dream possible.”
Over the years, she said the program taught her perseverance, humility, gratitude, and responsibility. These lessons became as important as the financial assistance itself.
For her, receiving an opportunity also meant having a responsibility to make something meaningful out of it.
From scholar to future educator
That sense of responsibility is also reflected in the experience of current scholar Ma. Anna Leah E. Quidet, a first-year college student at Batangas State University–Malvar Campus who has been part of the scholarship program for three years.
Quidet described the scholarship as a meaningful opportunity that has helped her continue her education despite challenges. More than the financial assistance, she said, the support and encouragement from SCG representatives have motivated her to work harder and believe in her potential.
She hopes to pursue a career in education, with mathematics as her current major under the College of Education. Although English was originally her preferred field, she was placed in mathematics based on her entrance examination results.
Her decision to pursue education, however, was influenced by more than her academic placement. Quidet said she has always been close to her teachers, who inspired her to help others.
“Ever since, Education is one of the things that I really want to get in life,” she said.
For Quidet, teaching is a way to extend the support she has received. She hopes that becoming an educator will allow her to help her family while also guiding younger students who are facing their own challenges.
“I want to be a good example for the students who have dreams and perseverance despite the challenges that each of us are facing,” she said.
Her plans are still taking shape, but her motivation is clear: she wants to become someone who can encourage students to continue pursuing their goals, even when the path becomes difficult.
“Don’t give up on the things that you want to achieve,” she said, recalling the advice she gives younger students.
Giving back through education
For both scholars, giving back is not limited to financial contributions or formal involvement in an institution. It can also take the form of becoming a good example, sharing experiences, and helping others recognize their own potential.
The former scholar, Ganalongo, recalled how SCG gave her opportunities to meet scholars from other countries through an ASEAN camp in Thailand in 2019. The experience exposed her to different nationalities and introduced her to activities focused on environmental sustainability.
As part of SCG’s Green Active Generation initiative, Quidet also practices environmental responsibility through waste segregation, reducing plastic use, and conserving water and electricity. She encourages her family, friends, and classmates to keep their surroundings clean and become more responsible toward the environment.
She also participated in a tree-planting activity last July, where scholars planted 20 golden shower trees at Santa Clara Integrated National High School.
These activities form part of SCG’s wider emphasis on sustainability and youth development, encouraging scholars to become active contributors to their communities.
During the celebration, the Thai ambassador to the Philippines highlighted education as an important area of cooperation between the two countries. The Department of Education likewise emphasized the importance of partnerships that help learners access quality teachers and meaningful educational opportunities, particularly as the country addresses learning gaps in reading.
For the scholars and alumni of Sharing the Dream, the partnership represents more than assistance received at a particular stage of their education. It is an opportunity that can shape their decisions, careers, and responsibilities to others.
The dream, in this sense, does not end with graduation. It continues through the people scholars hope to help, the lessons they intend to share, and the communities they aspire to serve.
Started in 1927, the Philippines Graphic is the longest-running printed magazine of national circulation that provides relevant news and features and promotes Philippine literature.
