Shaping aspiring scholars into purpose-driven professionals

They say dreaming is free. But for many Filipinos, pursuing higher education remains a challenge. Opportunities for tertiary education often depend not only on determination, faith, and hope, but also on access to resources and support.

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SM Foundation College Scholarship Program alumna Angela Rae Hufano poses for her official graduation photograph. SM Scholar Angela Rae Hufano demonstrates how to fill out a tax-related form in front of her class at UST Legazpi. For SM Scholar Angela Rae Hufano, "To have people believing in you also pushes you to believe in yourself" —something that SM Foundation made her feel.

For SM Foundation College Scholarship Program alumni like Angela Rae Hufano and John Gerald Mallari, that support made all the difference. Beyond financial support, the program helped chart a clear path toward meaningful careers. Today, both alumni are paying it forward, uplifting the same communities that once believed in their dreams.

College was nearly out of reach for Angela Rae Hufano after her father's passing in 2020, but with the scholarship, she managed to unlock the doors of tertiary education and is set to take her accountancy licensure exams this October.

Hufano admitted she was not the best during high school, so she knew her only shot at college was getting into a state university. With the postponement of entrance tests during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she thought she did not stand a chance at free education.

The SM Scholarship alumna recalled preparing for her scholarship as a challenging time in her life, juggling senior high school and part-time jobs as a tutor for English, mathematics, and science subjects, while also working at her community as a volunteer health worker.