SN Aboitiz Power’s (SNAP) scholarship program, Bridging Gaps in Higher Education through Tertiary Scholarships (BRIGHTS), recently celebrated the graduation of another batch of scholars for the academic year 2023-2024. Among the eleven (11) graduates, five (5) received Latin honors and two (2) received honorable mentions. Commencement ceremonies took place at their respective schools in SNAP’s host communities in Ifugao, Isabela, and Benguet throughout July and August.
SNAP President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Yu said, “We are immensely proud of our scholars and their achievements. We believe they are tomorrow’s innovators and change-makers; through them, we hope to realize our vision of a better and sustainable Philippines in the future.”
Among the lauded scholars is Jezryll Hulog, who graduated cum laude from Benguet State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. In a message to SNAP, she shared that being part of the BRIGHTS program ‘has instilled [in her] a profound sense of responsibility and gratitude’. “Your commitment to nurturing young minds has equipped me with not only academic knowledge, but also the determination to contribute positively to society.”
Jennifer Asistido, one of SNAP-Magat’s scholars, will be receiving her degree in Management Accounting this August. “I am so thankful to have been chosen as a scholar,” she shared. “Those yeses during the deliberation truly changed my life’s trajectory. A big thank-you to SNAP and everyone involved in the program. You’re making a real difference in people’s lives. I hope to one day be in a position to help others achieve their dreams, just as SNAP has helped me.”
To celebrate this milestone, congratulatory luncheons were held throughout July in Magat and Benguet with the scholars and their families. Throughout this period, SNAP was consequently doing another round of screening for new scholars. As of writing, twelve (12) more scholars have been accepted to the program for the upcoming school year. This totals to 115 scholars supported overall since the program’s inception in 2018.
Coming full circle, three former BRIGHTS scholars are currently employed in SNAP. Jasmin Montes joined SNAP-Benguet as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Assistant in 2023, and is now part of this year’s scholarship program screening panel. “I started building my future with SNAP, and to this day I continue to build it with them. Now I’m also helping others build their future — and, in turn, the future of the communities they serve.”