Out of the approximately 50,000 takers of the annual DLSU College Admission Test (DCAT), the top 100 scorers are offered an opportunity to be a recipient of one of the most prestigious and generous scholarships in the country — The Star Scholarship. After a series of interviews facilitated by top University administrators, the top 10 to 15 candidates are awarded the grant.
Star Scholars are exempted from paying tuition fees, receive a monthly stipend, and are offered a Taft-bound dormitory. They are also given special privileges such as advanced enrollment, University Fellow mentorship, and career guidance. The scholars are even allowed to proceed with their postgraduate degrees, in case they have any plans, for free in the University. De La Salle University does not require from its Star Scholars any service conditions or financial bond in exchange of the scholarship grant.
Where are they now?
A.A. Dela Cruz Marcelo, the Undergraduate Marketing Coordinator of Office of Strategic Communications (STRATCOM), states that “Every scholarship is a partnership between the school and the scholar…It is up to the scholar to live up to the expectation [of the school].” According to her and to Johannes Badillo, Director of Operations at STRATCOM, among all the scholarship programs of the universities in the Philippines, the Star Scholar program has the “most comprehensive” set of benefits, aiding scholars beyond financial needs. It is the only scholarship that extends to graduate studies. It is “merit-based”, and it applies without any discrimination or bias to financial need or school of origin.
Dela Cruz and Badillo admit that although they don’t formally track Star Scholar alumni, alumni are often invited to give talks at school where they also catch up with them. Their personal observation has been generally positive, commenting that they’re “Happy to know they’re doing well.” They also stated that all Star Scholars, except around one or two, graduate with at least an Honorable Mention.
Troy James Palanca (AE-BSA, 2014) says, “I really was set on a job in professional services – consulting, advisory, or auditing. I narrowed my focus to these companies. However, of course being a Star Scholar, and the resulting achievements in college, gave me an advantage. Still, the final decision for hiring is dependent on how you perform from the time you get an interview.” Currently, he works as a Risk Advisory Associate at SGV & Co. and Ernst & Young. He also does independent consulting engagements with management consulting firms, government agencies, and public relations agencies.
Charles Edric Co (BS/MS CHE, 2009) quips that though 2009 was “One of the worst times to graduate” due to the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, it wasn’t difficult for him to find a job. “I was able to receive calls from several companies asking me to participate in recruitment events, take examinations or go through interviews. I was also able to receive a number of offers from the few companies who were not on freeze-hiring then. Most of these were IT companies, but one of them was a company I targeted.”
Among the several IT companies that offered him positions, he ultimately chose to join Petron Corporation where he worked as a Process Engineer. He resigned after less than two months, took the Chemical Engineering Licensure Examinations where he placed second, got his license, and accepted an offer from Unioil Petroleum Philippines, Inc., where he started working as an assistant to the company President of Operations. After almost two years of significant work, he left and joined Procter & Gamble Philippines, Inc., as a process engineer first, then as a line leader with twelve direct reports after seven months.
Co graduated summa cum laude and placed second in the Licensure Examinations in 2009. He was also the Council of Student Organization chairperson in academic year 2007-2008.
Nellie Chua (BSCS-ST, 2010), a Star Scholar alumnus chose to return to her alma mater despite not having any obligation to do so. “I never really went hunting for jobs as I was in a ladderized program. Upon graduation, we were simply given options on saving and/or earning money while in graduate school (e.g., apply for DOST ERDT scholarship, work for the company with a satellite office at DLSU, work in industry, etc.). As I was a star scholar and there were several faculty members leaving back then, I decided to take on a teaching job in DLSU.”
She mentions that she started as a full-time instructor at DLSU, then became “An over-loaded part-time assistant lecturer” due to re-organization. “Right now, I am a full-time graduate student taking on several small side jobs (tutoring, small-scale programming, medical statistics, consulting, etc.), and I offer my assistance as a teaching assistant whenever our chairperson deems necessary,” Chua says.
Chua graduated summa cum laude and was a recipient of the Jose Rizal Honors Society award and the BPI DOST Science Award. She was also a Google Anita Bong Memorial Scholar.
Magoo Rustia (BS/MS IE, 2012) also confirms the prestige of being one of the University’s top graduates. Being a Star Scholar has opened a lot of doors for her in terms of her career. “I received e-mails and calls from companies, offering me to join their Management Trainee programs. The companies I applied to also called back within a month after graduation,” Rustia shares. She mentions that a multinational company even called her for an interview after finding out that she was a Star Scholar from word-of-mouth.
Rustia is currently a Junior Client Engineer at Mondelez Philippines, where she designs and commissions new machines and processes for new products, builds infrastructures and continuously improves operations. She is also the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of InternMe, a technology startup that matches students from top universities with high-quality internships. She graduated cum laude, and received a Student Leadership and Outstanding Thesis award.
Star Scholar-success correlation
In the postgraduate setting, it seems that the Star Scholar label does not change much, but the experiences and actions of one do. Kurt See (BS-AEC, 2011) explains that after college, “The value of being a Star Scholar does not come from being labeled a ‘Star Scholar’. Its post-university value comes from what you do during your stay as one.”
Likewise, Palanca affirms, “I think being a Star Scholar has almost always gotten me an interview, but the advantage stops there. The most significant advantage of the scholarship is the environment that allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge during college and apply them to my career in the future.” Co shares that because the Star Scholars Program is new, many “sometimes confuse these with other scholarships or financial assistance program. Because of this, I would say that it has not provided a strong impact on my career yet.” He explained that the contribution the program has to career comes more from the program itself, which involves development programs and a mentoring system.
The guidance and training programs also has an effect on their success. See states that, “The guidance and support given to Star Scholars helped a lot. SLIFE members (Ms. Eve and Ms. Tina) really encouraged me to find ways to pursue the things I was passionate about.” Palanca shares, “My mentor definitely shaped my life choices and inspired me to do more.”
Furthermore, being a Star Scholar has pushed them to work harder and to look towards the future. Mic Gutierez (BS/MS-IE, 2013) mentions, “Above anything else, I felt that DLSU expected me to inspire my fellow students to live out the values of a true Lasallian. It has always been clear to me that being a Star Scholar is more than just getting good grades—it was about spending our time in the university wisely, and in the service of others.” Palanca adds, “As we were told during our recognition at the start of our college careers, the University considers Star Scholars as their contribution to society, as men and women of competence and character.” He also added that “there was always a healthy level of pressure on me to work just a bit harder than I would normally work.”
“The tuition grant and support programs cost a lot and not taking my student life seriously would be a huge injustice. Choosing not to excel would mean that the time and resources spent on me could have been spent on someone more deserving,” See thinks. Gutierez made a similar insight saying, “When you’re a scholar, you realize that everyone around you is actually supporting your education, and that just inspires you to work hard and not take anything for granted.” He adds that, “Being a scholar changes everything about the way you think, even the way that you plan the rest of your life. Like I said, being a scholar means being filled with gratitude towards the rest of the world, and the desire to live out a life of service comes naturally.”
Star Scholar undergraduates
Similar with the alumni, current Star scholar undergraduates strive for excellence. Apart from striving for 4.0s, they try to be involved in different student organizations. Meeting the standards, for them, is exhibiting academic competence, Christian values, and social service.
Star Scholars also experience academic pressure. Caisa Subia (I, BS-MEM-BME), who has not encountered professors who are particular about scholarships, feels that Star Scholars still have a higher academic standard to meet. On the other hand, Abe Lozada (III, BS-MEM-BME) is challenged by the environment of his college. He explains that because there are many smart people at DLSU, who are not scholars, getting higher grades than him, he feels that he should level up and outdo his peers. There is not only pressure in the academic setting but also in decision making in which scholars are expected to uphold Lasallian values at all times.
