#SMIskolarAko: SM Foundation Encourage You To Dream Big, Work Hard

Scholarship gives opportunity for many of us who wants to pursue college education. Way back in college, I remember having difficulty to afford my college tuition fee, I was glad that I was able to pass a scholarship grant in my school. This became a challenge for me to focus in my studies. Recently, SM Foundation celebrated another milestone under its education program as it produced 225 graduates from its 20th batch of scholars since its college scholarship program started in 1993. One of them is Medjugorje Uy, 19 years old, who grew up in a loving environment despite living in a shack on the edge of a construction dump site. As the daughter of a single parent, she and her mother supported themselves through various odd jobs. All the while, she worried if she would be able to continue her studies after graduating high school. But her worries faded when good news came from a phone call informing her that she was accepted into the SM Foundation College Scholarship Program. Medjugorge graduated summa cum laude from National University with a degree in Education, major in English. She is one of the 225 SM Scholar-graduates lauded at the annual Presentation of Graduates event last May 25.

She also recently joined the SM family as she accepted a position at SM Sangangdaan in Caloocan. Each year, SM Scholar-graduates are offered jobs at SM companies through an exclusive job fair before the Presentation of Graduates event.

This year’s Presentation of Graduates produced 71 honor students of which, 4 are summa cum laude, 11 are magna cum laude, 44 are cum laude, and 12 finished with academic distinction. 

This year’s theme of ‘Dream big, Work hard’, emphasizes and strengthens SM Foundation's continuing commitment of providing opportunities for the youth who best exemplifies its founder Henry Sy, Sr’s words of ‘Dream Big’.

Kim Atienza, more known as ‘Kuya Kim’, was invited as this year’s keynote speaker. Atienza hosts a weekly science and environmental-centric show Matanglawin and is currently the resident weather anchor in ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol segment ‘Weather-Weather Lang’.

An exclusive job offer was also held for scholars preceding the event. The SM scholar-graduates completed their courses in accountancy, computer science, information technology, education, computer engineering, electronics and communications engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering. They were interviewed by the human resources team of participating SM companies which include SM Investments, Inc., Shopping Center Management Corp., SM Department Store, SM Retail, SM Food Group (Supermarket, Hypermarket, Savemore and Alfamart), Uniqlo, H&M, Body Shop and Asia Pacific College, to name a few. 

SM Foundation has, to date, produced a total of 2,385 graduates under its college scholarship program. Most of its graduates are now gainfully employed or running their own businesses here and abroad. A number of them have opted to work with SM and its related companies. 

Photos and updates of the event may be seen using the official SM scholar hashtag #smiskolarako.