Shining takes time: A Star Scholar’s story

The DLSU Star Scholars Program was designed to gather the best and the brightest high school students in the country to study in the University. Recipients are entitled to 100 percent waived tuition, laboratory and miscellaneous fees, and an array of opportunities that facilitate holistic formation. Now on its 12^th year, the program continues to be one of the most comprehensive and competitive scholarship programs to date.

Star Scholars are required to exhibit excellence in both intellect and character. Only the top 60 exam-takers of the DLSU College Entrance Test are qualified to the scholarship program. An interview is then conducted by the University’s top officials and administrators to finalize the list of the most deserving students.

Aside from the waived fees, Star Scholars enjoy advanced enrollment status, additional borrowing privileges in the library, exclusive use of designated computer facilities, and an option to take six units of foreign language courses. Scholars are also exposed to programs that foster character-building and academic exellence.

No strings attached

Scholarships are notorious for attaching a long list of conditions that the grantee must comply with. Common provisions come in the form of maintaining a minimum GPA, compulsory representation of the institution, and rendering a few hours of community work. The more extreme condition is for a scholar to return the favor to the institution by teaching after graduation.

The Star Scholarship Program of DLSU demands very little from its grantees despite the program’s generosity in terms of the opportunities provided to the recipients. Besides the required attendance of occasional leadership programs and extracurricular activities, Star Scholars are only required to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5, with no grade lower than 2.0 in any subject per term. Neither financial pledges nor further commitments are required of the grantee after graduation.

This is not to say that the Star Scholar program sets an exceedingly low standard on its grantees. Many may argue that more is expected from the supposed “best and the brightest” of the University, but to begin with, the program need not do so because a Star Scholar takes it upon himself to attach those strings.

This was what Kurt See, a Star Scholar, realized about the program, this, among other things.

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His two cents’ worth on the program

A Star Scholar has every reason to have a passive life during his or her stay in the University. One just needs to get grades that do not fall below the minimum requirement to be assured of a tuition grant each term, but despite such an option, most Star Scholars took the more difficult path to success.

Most scholars have become successful student leaders inside and outside the University, competent opponents in intercollegiate competitions, selfless community volunteers, skillful athletes and cheerleaders and acclaimed bearers of national pride. This is an evidence of the self-imposed expectations that Star Scholars have chosen to make upon themselves.

This self-imposition does not surface instantaneously. I believe that the Star Scholar program’s inherent design complements a grantee’s own yearning to do more and be great. The program ensures that scholars are able to realize their maximum potentials, just like a self-correcting mechanism that seems to naturalize the idea of excellence

I did not start out like those Star Scolars. I entered DLSU with very little ambition in me. I just wanted to maintain the scholarship, complete my flowchart and earn my diploma in four years. Nothing more; nothing less.

I did not have enthusiasm when I was on my first year in college; my performance was lackluster. Most of the time, I would go to school just in time for my first class and immediately strap on my backpack, and head home after my last class. During breaks, I would be in a computer shop shouting combat moves and strategies while playing an intense game of DoTA with my block mates or queuing in a line to have my crammed assignment printed.

Besides the occasional night-out with high school friends or block mates, my weekends were mostly spent wasting life away at home. During the freshmen elections, a political party asked me to run for a batch position. Unsurprisingly, the mediocrity in me decided that I wasn’t good enough for the job.

My attitude towards student life began to shift after participating in my first Personal Effectiveness and Leadership (PEL) Workshop. It is an avenue for Star Scholars to formulate their personal vision and mission, pinpoint specific goals and construct a tangible personal development plan while in college.

We were also encouraged to take part in various socio-civic activities sponsored by DLSU such as the annual For the Kids program and tree-planting activities to hone our leadership skills. Each scholar was also assigned to a University Fellow who will serve as our mentor during our stay in DLSU.

The mentorship program will provide scholars a gateway to learning and opportunities beyond the classroom. Each scholar is encouraged to meet with their mentors regularly to discuss a wide array of topics ranging from interdisciplinary interests, recreational reading and even publication possibilities.

PEL also enabled me to get to know my fellow Star Scholars, people who in just a few hours earned my respect and admiration. The establishment of the tightly knit support system helps in the socio-emotional and spiritual development of Star Scholars.

It made me realize that all of my batch mates in the program were seeking to remain true to the title given to them but there I was, wallowing in utter complacency. After seeing how most of them were inciting change and leaving their own marks inside and outside the University, I saw how ungrateful I was to myself, to the University, to society, and to God, all of whom have played significant roles in allowing me to enjoy the privilege of being one of DLSU’s Star Scholars.

For some time, I had already contemplated on joining the La Salle Debate Society (LSDS), but figured that I would not be able to withstand long hours of training. Before I knew it, I was already attending late-night training sessions, joining focused groups discussions, cross-training with other schools, and attending both national and international tournaments. I was able to break in national and international competitions; I have also had my share of reaching a tournament’s semi-finals.

My academic performance also paved the way for working with the top professors in the department. I was only a research assistant before, but the training my mentors gave me helped me develop my research skills. I started co-writing working papers with professors. I was also given the chance to present my output in local conventions and to the international community; I’ve been to Korea to do that. I also joined The Lasallian, the official school of DLSU, to hone my journalism skills.

Admittedly, I had to adjust my schedule and study habits. I had less time to scream in computer shops, less room to procrastinate and less leeway to enjoy weekly night-outs with friends, but it’s all worth it. Not only did I find a family in LSDS and the Economics department, but also a group of people who constantly seek to exceed what is expected of them.

The Star Scholarship Program is designed to harness and maximize the multifaceted potentials innate within each scholar. The program indeed succeeded in fulfilling its basic objectives; I, for one, would say that it has been instrumental to my own growth.

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DLSU paints quite a perfect picture of Star Scholars but as Kurt See’s case proves, not all of them who may be meant for greatness, started out great. What happened to See also proves another important thing—that the enrichment programs the Star Scholars are placed under do work.