Fritz Mendez, an SM Foundation alumnus, has an opportunity to pursue his dream of attending college and launching a prosperous career through the scholarship program.
Since 1993, the SM Foundation, SM’s social good arm, has given college scholarships to deserving students from underprivileged communities. This demonstrates how education and perseverance may lead to a life free of poverty.
Education, according to SM founder Henry Sy, is the greatest weapon against poverty. A college education, in his view, is one of the most powerful tools for social change, and the ripple effect it has on a graduate’s ability to improve not only his own life but also that of his loved ones, his employer, and the world at large.
The scholarship program has helped more than 4,200 students so far this year, and it is also assisting in the fight against the generational transmission of poverty through its emphasis on youth education, the construction of schools, and the provision of classrooms around the country.
Fritz Mendez finds this path to be far from simple. Because he was a member of a defenseless group, staying alive was his top priority.
Tragically, the war in Lebanon cut short his mother’s career as a domestic worker. He felt that getting out of poverty was an unachievable dream due to these and other family problems, so he stopped going to school.
Due to the widespread poverty in our neighborhood, it is almost anticipated that you do not have a bachelor’s degree or higher. A college degree was always a goal of his, but he wished to prove to his loved ones and neighbors that it was possible. The SM Scholarship has granted me my prayer: the chance to realize this ambition. After mustering up all my bravery, I applied, and the SM Foundation granted me a chance.
Realizing the hitherto unimaginable goal
Fritz, a graduate of the SM Scholarship Program, now has the opportunity to mentor the next crop of scholarship recipients.
Fritz began college at the tender age of nineteen, but he wasted no time gaining knowledge and making the most of his opportunities despite being older than his classmates.
He overcame adversity by actively participating in church activities and the scholarship program, both of which provided him with a supportive atmosphere. Through his involvement in numerous extracurricular activities at church and school, he developed his leadership abilities, his extroverted personality, and his love for writing and performing.
Important for Fritz’s well-being and performance in college and beyond, he honed practical skills such as time management and budgeting. He gained self-assurance and new perspectives as a result of these events.
My newfound confidence is all because to the scholarship. My sense of duty, discipline, and respect for the worth of work and money were all honed by the simple act of contemplating my own existence. This development was most pronounced when I was a summer intern with the SM Scholarship and learned how to manage my money wisely. I managed to take care of our household expenses and put up enough money for my stipend next semester.
Indulging in my passion
A person’s family is everything to them. Fritz promotes the idea of spreading social good among his coworkers at work.
His one and only job after graduating from Accounting Technology in 2014 was with BDO Unibank.
Now a senior teller and the BDO Employees Association’s Regional Director for the Visayas area, he has risen the corporate ladder. He encourages his coworkers, leads well, and suggests creative welfare measures for his colleagues, all while handling important accounts in his area.
One thing I’ve learned from the SM Group is the importance of family. They taught me the value of family through their unwavering support and encouragement while I was an SM scholar. He was able to learn and show how to care for his family while working at BDO Unibank.
Thanks to his mother, who believed in his ability to provide a better life for his family, Fritz is now able to provide them a good home and meet their basic necessities.
Beyond this, as a high school student who could have accepted his destiny, the SM Scholarship offered me hope. Not only did the SM Scholarship allow me to become the sole graduate in my fractured family, but it also gave me the chance to dream of a better, more hopeful future. It showed that there is hope for students like me who are looking to start over and create our own opportunities.
