Success Amidst Adversity
 

By Aissa Marie dela Cruz Ang

I was born and raised in a small southern town. We were not particularly well off, so for most of my young life I could not imagine that I’d become an alumna of the Ateneo de Manila University. Here’s how my family and I did it, with Metrobank Foundation’s help.

First of all, despite how difficult life was for us, my family still firmly believes that education is a great equalizer, a powerful tool of social change, and a springboard to prosperity. As such, my grandparents, parents, aunties, uncles, and cousins pitched in to help me and my younger brother complete our elementary and secondary years in Davao City. Many times, their best efforts were hardly enough to make payments for books and final exam fees, so we would resort to the kindness of friends and the temporary refuge of the promissory note.

To give their children the learning opportunities they never had, my paternal grandparents had to make do with whatever little money they made from collecting and selling scrap paper. That is why poverty is a first-hand experience for me, and I’m sure you’ll understand why I so much wanted to somehow help my family bring us out of it. Getting a degree at a good university would be a good way to do that. Unfortunately, I soon realized that I had very limited options for higher education. For me to go to university – and hopefully blaze a trail to a better life for us – I would need to earn a full Metrobank Foundation scholarship. To do that, I only needed to do one thing: keep my grades up no matter what happens, whatever the circumstances.

With my family squarely behind me, I got the scholarship. And now, the real work began, because being a Metrobank scholar is a non-stop exercise in excellence. In my experience, maintaining a per semester average of 3.0 out of a perfect 4.0 stretched my personal best into something even better. My fellow Metrobank scholars and I were constantly challenged to consistently evaluate how we can improve our personal and professional capacities.

Metrobank Foundation’s support of my studies opened a door to myriad opportunities. My fellow scholars must have felt this too. The very real prospect of being able to fulfil our aspirations is truly exhilarating. The men and women of Metrobank Foundation who took us under their wings enabled us to soar with strong, breathtaking wings of our own.

My Metrobank family inspired me to be a better role model by being a leader of the Ateneo dormitory scholars, writing a weekly column for a local newspaper, and having guest appearances on radio talk shows. To keep us motivated, the Foundation celebrated the giftedness of fellow scholars in architecture, mathematics, science and technology, teaching, business and entrepreneurship, and the social sciences.

My having graduated magna cum laude with a Minor in Chinese Studies would have been next to an impossible event in both sides of my family three generations back. Given what I’ve just been through, it has become clear to me that how far I’ve come as a child of humble beginnings is linked with our nation’s path. The Metrobank Foundation has taken the lead in equipping us with excellence of character to guide the progress of our diverse culture amidst the global crisis. This is the time when we can have the most impact; this is the opportunity to positively respond to change – together.

I sincerely believe that the self-cultivation fostered by our Metrobank scholarships contributes to character-building, and by extension, nation-building. We have every reason and opportunity to prevail, honor all those who have gone before us, and inspire all who shall come after us. This is the heart of the Metrobank Foundation’s education agenda: Quality Education is the best weapon against Poverty.

My story is not unique, I am certain there are many young people out there whose families have had more than their fair share of difficulties. What I’m saying is that poverty should not be cause for despair. If at all, it should serve as a very strong motivation to succeed and excel. Despite everything, there is a vast field of hope out there, where doors open to reveal immense possibilities for a person’s gifts to reach full bloom and become gifts to others. All you really need to do is apply yourself to the task at hand. When problems arise, stay focused and remember that a lot of people are counting on you.

Allow me to offer you a line by William Arthur Ward that I feel resonates with what Metrobank has helped us attain: “Adversity causes some to break, and others to break records.”

(Excerpts from the speech delivered by Aissa Marie Ang during the Metrobank Foundation 11th Graduates Forum on April 25, 2009, and was published on Philippine Daily Inquirer on August 29, 2009. An MBFI Class 2009 ACCESS scholar, Ms. Ang graduated Magna cum Laude from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in AB Development Studies, Minor in Chinese Studies. She is currently working with Nestle Philippines as a Management Trainee.)

The Metrobank Foundation is the corporate social responsibly arm of the Metrobank Group of Companies. Over the last 28 years, it has promoted a culture of excellence among Filipinos through its various programs notably the Search for Outstanding Teachers, the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence, The Outstanding Philippine Soldier, Country's Outstanding Policemen in Service, the Metrobank Math Challenge, and College Scholarship Program. The Foundation also has a grants program that assists NGOs and government in the fields of education, healthcare, and the arts. Metrobank Foundation celebrates Filipino excellence and presents wellsprings of hope in the future of our nation.

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