SM, through its social good arm, SM Foundation, continues to champion education by providing college scholarships to deserving students from economically vulnerable communities since 1993, a proof of how education and hard work are paving the way for a life out of poverty.
SM founder Henry Sy, believed that education is the best defense against poverty. For him, one of the most impactful ways to make a difference in a community is by helping a student attain a college degree — its multiplier effect goes on as that graduate eventually becomes capable of helping his family, the company he will work for and the society as a whole.
Apart from supporting over 4,200 scholar beneficiaries year-to-date, the scholarship program is also helping break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by advancing youth education, building school facilities and providing classrooms nationwide.
For Fritz Mendez, this journey is anything but straightforward. Living in a vulnerable community, survival was the only thing he could think of.
His mother was forced to leave her job as a domestic helper due to the war in Lebanon. This and several other familial problems forced him to stop attending school, feeling that escaping poverty was an impossible dream.
“When you live in our community, it seems expected of you not to go to college or have a degree because poverty is very rampant. I, however, had a dream inside me to show to my community and family that I can have a college degree,” he said. “Having an opportunity to fulfill that dream through the SM Scholarship is indeed a blessing I prayed for. I took all the courage to apply and the SM Foundation gave me a shot.”
