Behind every scholarship is a story of perseverance, sacrifice, and hope. For many SM Foundation scholars, the journey to higher education has been marked by financial hardships, difficult choices, and unwavering determination. Yet despite the challenges, they continue to pursue their dreams, inspired by the sacrifices of their families and driven by a desire to create a better future for themselves and their communities. Among them are Shawn Marion Alambra of Leyte and Mark Jade Feria Rivera of Nueva Ecija, whose stories reflect the transformative power of education and opportunity.
Shawn Marion Alambra BS Civil Engineering Eastern Visayas State University
One of the beneficiaries is Shawn Marion Alambra from Tacloban City, taking up Civil Engineering at Eastern Visayas State University.
Coming from a poor family, he was, at one point, conflicted about pursuing his studies or just work to help his parents financially.
“There had been times when I questioned myself if pursuing this path was even worth it; watching my parents struggle so much in life made me think if I should help with family finances or keep on going on with my dream,” he shared.
He said he never had the opportunity to express how painful it was to ask his parents for a school project costing above P100. the fact that he knew it was already a lot for them, and heard them say they will do their best to come up with the amount made him tear up in silence.
The young Leyte native also said that at some point of his journey he envied his classmates enjoying their meals and snacks in school while he looked at the P10 to P20 he had for the day.
“It’s really hard not to envy others when you long for things that they have. Because in a world where money runs most of the needs in every people, it’s a huge struggle to see the horizon of your dreams when your legs are tied to a weight of financial challenge. But as they said, ‘there is no easy path to success; it requires hard work and dedication.’ It isn’t an easy journey to say the least, it has a lot of ups and downs, and sometimes there’s always a point where giving up is the greatest option,” he said.
“But I realized, if I give up, my family’s sacrifice would also be in vain. If I give up, the people and the world I always dreamed to help loses a light of hope. I had to wake up to the reality where I wanted to be someone who gives light to the horizons of other people, a hand that lifts up other people who struggle with the same fate as mine.” Alambra continued.
His darkened hopes and dreams lighted up when he received an email from SMFI, confirming his scholarship.
“The word ‘Congratulations’ assured me that I could keep on walking down my path to greatness due to this opportunity. Now I can continue my long journey without worrying too much about my financial status. I can finally ease the financial burden of my studies from my family, and all I have to do now is to keep the flame of hope burning inside me to keep on marching to greatness, keep on dreaming for a future where I can also be a hand to lift others and be someone can be a light to others who are in a pit of hopeless darkness,” he said.
“I am very much thankful to SMFI for their scholarship program for giving me a chance to become someone who’s destined for greatness and excellence. This scholarship is not just a dream; it is a responsibility I will carry on with pride and dignity,” the future civil engineer stated.
Mark Jade Feria Rivera BS Information Technology Central Luzon State University
Salutatorian in elementary. Valedictorian in high school. Now a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student at Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Muñoz City, Nueva Ecija as an SMFI scholar.
“I started my journey as a student full of dreams, driven by an ambition to make the world a better place through the power of technology. Born and raised in a small town in Nueva Ecija, I grew up watching my parents work tirelessly to provide for us. My father is a hardworking farmer, and my mother is a former domestic helper who worked abroad,” Mark Jade Feria Rivera began, adding he and his two sisters were raised by their parents with strong morals and dignity.
“From a young age, I was deeply aware of our financial struggles. Despite these hardships, my parents sacrificed so much just to put food on our table and support our education. They always told us that education is the only legacy they can leave to us. Bearing that in mind, I have always taken my studies seriously, determined never to waste a single bit of their sacrifices,” he said.
His passion for technology began in elementary school, completing his primary education at Talabutab Norte Elementary School under the Special Program in Information and Communications Technology (SP-ICT), graduating as the class salutatorian.
He continued this path into junior high school at Talabutab Norte National High School, where his mentors gave him the opportunity to dive into developmental research and programming.
However, building software requires funding, which was a major hurdle for him and his group.
“Refusing to let financial constraints stop us, my research group found creative, zero-cost alternatives to bring our ideas to life. We developed ‘DineDash,’ a software system designed to modernize school canteen ordering, inspired by the self-service kiosks in major fast-food chains,” he related.
He continued his journey at Palayan City Senior High School under the ICT strand where he continued leading budget-friendly tech projects, including a study on the effectiveness of an improvised ergonomic device, voting system, development of a gamified learning application, and a recent assessment of students’ cybersecurity awareness and online safety.
Through hard work and dedication, he graduated from senior high school as the class valedictorian.
Now, as a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student at Central Luzon State University College of Engineering, Rivera is eager to develop even more innovative research that solves real-world problems.
“The SM Foundation scholarship would not only alleviate my family’s financial burden but also empower me to pursue my mission of innovating, creating meaningful change, and giving back to the community,” the future data scientist and technological innovator from Nueva Ecija said.
As Shawn, Mark Jade, and thousands of other scholars continue their educational journey, they embody the vision of SM founder Henry “Tatang” Sy Sr., who believed that education can transform lives and uplift communities. Through the SM College Scholarship Program, deserving students are given the opportunity to pursue higher education, overcome financial barriers, and build a brighter future. Since its establishment, the program has supported generations of learners and has produced 4,640 college scholar graduates, proving that when given the chance, young Filipinos can achieve their dreams and become catalysts for positive change.
