The generosity of SM founder Henry Sy Sr. and his family has enabled hundreds of young people over the years to realize their dream of obtaining college degrees and help their families get a better life. At the recent presentation of graduates held at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, 225 graduates from Southern Luzon, the Cordilleras, Bicol region, the Visayas and Mindanao took center stage and expressed their gratitude at the man and his family who envisioned the scholarship program for deserving public high school graduates.
The SM scholar graduates of school year 2015-2016 gathered for a testimonial dinner in their honor tendered by their benefactor, with the proud parents, officials of partner schools of SM Foundation Inc., members of the academe, SM officials, clients and friends of the SM conglomerate joining in the happy occasion.
Graduates from various regions in the country flew to Manila for the presentation ceremony and were billeted in hotels located around the SMX area. Following the presentation, the scholar-graduates were interviewed for employment opportunities offered by the SM Group of Companies.
This recent batch of graduates produced four summa cum laude, 11 magna cum laude, 46 cum laude and 11 graduates with academic distinction, comprising 32.6 percent of the total scholar graduates.
Established in 1993, the SM scholarship program has given opportunities for poor but deserving high school graduates to enroll in the following college courses: Accountancy, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Elementary Education, Information Management, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, and Secondary Education Major in Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics or Physics.
Partnering with the SM Foundation are 82 colleges and universities. From the time it was established, the scholarship program has since produced over 1,900 graduates. Aside from the college scholarship program, the SM Foundation also supports technical-vocational students enrolled in Don Bosco’s TVET Center and Punlaan School.
The tech-voc scholarships are offered to out-of-school youth and individuals inclined to take on technical/vocational courses. This coming school year will also usher in more tech-voc scholars as SM Foundation is increasing the number of scholarship slots available.
For more information and updates on the SM scholarship program and other corporate social responsibility projects,
visit www.sm-foundation.org.