She’s a proud daughter of a mechanic

Over and over, we have heard the phrase that poverty shouldn’t be a hindrance for us to achieve our dreams, but there are people who have proven this right. One of them is Prestone scholar, Anna Raiza Dela Cruz, who graduated magna cum laude with a degree BS in Hospitality Management in System Technology Institute. 

Anna is a daughter of a Prestone mechanic. The company paved the way for her to qualify for “Anak ng Mekaniko” scholarship program. Under the program, Anna received full scholarship and allowance from the company. 

“When we started this scholarship program, our goal was to celebrate and put a spotlight on our neighborhood auto mechanics, who we consider unsung heroes who ensure our safety by helping us maintain the tip-top condition of our vehicles,” says Monique Gonzales, marketing manager for Southeast Asia at Clorox International Philippines, Inc. “As our way of celebrating their hard work, we found these deserving ‘Anak ng Mekaniko’ scholars with a fire to learn and reach their dreams. And as they embarked on their college journey these past years, they exude passion and dedication to achieve a brighter future for their parents and loved ones.” 

Anna tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle that in order to gain a spot in the program, they all went through tedious screenings competing against hundreds of applicants across the country. "Prestone didn’t pressure us to get certain grades as long as we have passing grades,” she says. "This inspired us more to do our best and finish our education."

Despite life challenges, Anna is proud and happy to be a daughter of a mechanic. "A lot of people are saying that if anak ka lang ng mekaniko (you’re just a daughter of a mechanic) you have limited privilege in life, especially in the courses you want to take for your college education, but it depends on you as a person,” she says. “There are lots of opportunities out there, lots of scholarship programs. You just need to be patient and look for the right one for you. Most of all, trust in God, He’ll lead you to the right path and give you the right opportunity."

Moving forward, Anna is leveraging the career program and orientation Prestone also provided to its scholars. From there, she will choose the path she wants to take on. 

Aside from Anna, there are other five scholars who graduated under the program. They are Edmajea Aguinaldo from Makati City, the first degree-holder in her family who graduated with a BS in Hospitality Management; Melver Masangkay from Batangas, the most active scholar in co-curricular activities who took up BS in Computer Engineering; Christian Diamante from Misamis Oriental, Cagayan De Oro, a consistent honor student who finished with a BS in Information Technology; Aulinda Buban from Antipolo City, Rizal, a mommy scholar with consistent good-standing grades who finished with a BS in Information Technology; and Harvey Plazo, a son of an auto mechanic for 28 years, graduated cum laude with a BS in Information Technology.