'Once a scholar, always a scholar' How SM Fotundation's college scholarship transformed two lives

When dreams feel too heavy to carry, sometimes, all it takes is one hand reaching out to lift you up.

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For many young Filipinos, that helping hand came from SM Foundation’s SM College Scholarship Program. And this year, 199 SM Scholar-Graduates from Batch 2024-2025 will be honored on Oct. 23.

Behind every SM Scholar is a story of perseverance and hope. Fermina Kassandra dela Cruz, a fresh scholar-graduate, and Carlo Kristian Napucao, an alumnus who is now part of the SM Group, show what it means to go from dreaming to achieving, and eventually, to giving back.

Dela Cruz’s path to becoming a scholar came at one of the darkest times of her life.

“Senior high school at pa-college na po ako noong panahon ng COVID-19 pandemic. Hiwalay ang nanay at tatay ko, at nakatira po ako sa lola, kasama ang kuya at tito ko... Noong hindi ko na alam kung saan ako papasok, saktong naka-receive ako ng tawag na natanggap ako bilang SM Scholar... SM Scholarship ang ginamit na daan ng Panginoon para makapag-aral ako sa kolehiyo sa kabila ng sitwasyon namin ng pamilya ko,” she shared.

More than the tuition, her scholarship became a shield that allowed her family to survive. The financial support allowed the money that would have been used for her education to be saved for her ailing grandmother and mother’s treatment, as well as their daily needs.

“Sa pamamagitan ng SM Scholarship, nakabawas ako sa intindihin ng pamilya ko para mapaaral ako,” she said.

Carlo and Fermina (first and third from left) gather with fellow SM Scholars at an assembly designed to build connections and community. These gatherings, conducted by the foundation, bring together current scholars and alumni to create networks and foster a supportive bond that extends beyond the classroom.