Four undergraduates will be studying in Europe for one semester under the Erasmus Mundus Mobility with Asia (EMMA) Programme.

Social sciences junior Patrick Balisong, communications technology management junior Jonalyn Campos, management information systems-master of science in computer science junior Anna Melgar and political science junior Niryll Nalda have all received full scholarships to European universities of their choice which are part of the EMMA Programme.

Balisong will attend the Universita Degli Studi di Padova in Italy, Melgar will enter the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu in Romania, while both Campos and Nalda will study at the University of Warsaw in Poland.

EMMA is a consortium between ten Asian and seven European universities that work towards the financing of scholarship grants and research visits. The scholarship includes a round-trip air fare, insurance and a monthly stipend to aid the scholars in their studies.

Courses that the scholars will take up in their respective host universities will be credited as part of their course requirements in the Ateneo.

The Ateneo is one of the two partner schools for EMMA in the Philippines, the other one being the University of the Philippines.

The nine other Asian partners come from Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, while the European partners are composed of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania and the Netherlands.

EMMA scholars were evaluated in terms of their academic credentials, co-curricular work, leadership potential and a motivation letter. In the motivation letter, the applicants explained their intentions and the qualifications that make them worthy of the scholarship.

Awardees include undergraduate, master, graduate and post-doctorate students, and staff of the universities from eligible countries in Asia.

Aspirations

In his letter, Balisong shared his aspiration to re-enter the Ateneo as part of the faculty to conduct extensive research. This way, he would be able to find a solution to the sociological problems that the Philippines currently faces.

It was Universita Degli Studi de Padova’s programs in sociology, anthropology, history and cultural heritage that led Balisong to choose the Italian school as his host university. Furthermore, he wants to study Italy’s culture because of its influence in global perspectives.

Likewise, Melgar is bent on providing solutions to societal issues, particularly those being faced by the marginalized sectors in society. For her part, she hopes to overcome these problems by means of “computing technology.”

According to her, she will be the only Filipino this year to attend the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, where she will be taking up courses in its accredited Advanced Computing Systems program.

On the other hand, Campos chose the University of Warsaw when she learned that its graduates have moved on to become successful entrepreneurs. “I hope to experience the quality education offered by the Faculty of Management of the [said university].”

She added that she is interested to learn how business is conducted abroad. She is particularly keen on learning more about management science, her field of her choice.

For Nalda, it was political science senior Ace Dela Cruz who served as her inspiration to choose the University of Warsaw. Dela Cruz attended the same university under the EMMA in 2013.

“He proved the caliber of a true probinsyano student and where handwork can lead you. He is a great inspiration to the younger generation and I wish to emulate his work to my fellow Waray-Warays,” she said, referring to Dela Cruz, who hails from the Quirino province.

A Tacloban native, Nalda was further moved to apply for the EMMA after Typhoon Yolanda devastated her hometown last November.

“I just want to be able to holistically improve and be relevant to nation building, or in my hometown’s case, re-building,” she said.

She said the scholarship gives her the opportunity to serve as a relevant figure in her community, where she hopes to give back not only to her own family but also to the rest of her people.

Magis

For Balisong, earning the EMMA scholarship exemplifies the Ateneo magis, or doing more for God and for others. The program aligns with the Ateneo’s goal of expanding global relations and producing world-class professionals, he said.

Having grown up with the understanding that his academic performance would determine his next goals, Balisong considers his studies as one of the biggest facets of his life.

Beyond his textbooks, Balisong volunteers at the Institute of Social Order, a Jesuit social apostolate that responds to the needs and promotes the liberation of marginalized sectors in society.

He also handles public relations as part of The GUIDON Externals Staff and serves as a contributing writer for Verstehen, the online publication of the Sociology and Anthropology Department.

On the other hand, Campos has attended several leadership camps since she was in high school as part of the Ateneo Pathways to Higher Education program. The program aims to recognize deserving yet financially-handicapped public high school students by training them both academically and non-academically for a chance at quality college education.

As Ateneo Enterteynment para sa Tao, Bayan, Lansangan, at Diyos (Entablado)’s Deputy for Theatrical Workshops, Campos prepares modules, and conducts and organizes workshops requested by Entablado’s partner organizations.

Melgar is a consistent Dean’s Lister who currently serves in the Sanggunian as a  representative. She has spearheaded various projects for organizations in the Ateneo, including Ateneo Management Information Systems Organization, Ateneo Gabay and Ateneo Special Education Society.

Furthermore, Melgar has been named one of the ten finalists of the 2014 Ramon Magsaysay Youth Essay Competition. The competition is part of the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation’s efforts to inspire the youth to demonstrate the same servant leadership that was exhibited by the former President and by the recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

For her part, Nalda related her active social involvement in Tacloban, where she was elected as the community’s Sangguniang Kabataan Chair for the term 2010-2013. As an ex-officio of the Barangay Council, the Sangguniang Kabataan Chair is in charge of youth and sports development in the council.

Nalda, also a dean’s lister, is currently the Associate Vice President for Socio-Political Advocacy of The Ateneo Assembly.

Editor’s note: Patrick Balisong is a member of The GUIDON’s Externals Staff.

Updated on October 20, 2014 at 12:22 AM.