April 25, 2024
Paying it forward, from one scholar to another: Tzu Chi’s third career talk
By Dorothy Castro
Tzu Chi Philippines recently held its third career talk for the graduating batch of scholars this April 20. Past Tzu Chi scholars who now lead successful careers returned to lend the scholars confidence and strength as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Daniella Macogue, a member of Tzu Chi’s Charity staff, and social worker in the field of education, was once a Tzu Chi scholar. Now, she is part of the group responsible for the day’s event. During the career talk, she conversed with the students and asked them questions reflecting on their experiences as graduating scholars.
“I was quite nervous, given that I used to be one of the students sitting with my fellow scholars, but now I am the one asking questions. But this experience is worth trying, as I learned about the preparations that go into a wonderful activity like this,” she shared.
Apart from Daniella, professionals who were once Tzu Chi Scholars shared their experiences and learnings in the workforce to help Tzu Chi scholars prepare for the challenges ahead.
Elvin Mercader was among the first batch of Tzu Chi scholars. In 1995, he was a second-grade student when Tzu Chi Foundation started selecting students from various Chinese schools to receive scholarships.
A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from University of Santo Tomas, Elvin persevered to maintain his scholarship from Tzu Chi Foundation. Now, he returns as a professional in this field, ready to help scholars be their best selves in their future job interviews.
Reminiscing about his experience as a Tzu Chi scholar, he emphasized the importance of Humanities classes for scholars’ growth. “In our previous discussions, I learned about being positive. You will encounter a lot of challenges when you work, and it’s important to be positive and open-minded,” he shared.
Volunteering as an interviewer, Elvin hopes to contribute to the scholars’ success by assessing their performance in the mock interviews and how well they answer the questions. “It really is my personal advocacy. This is a venue for me to pay back the foundation, and of course, to pay it forward. Without expecting anything in return, I believe this fulfills my personal purpose of inspiring other people,” he explained.
For Jhoy Sarmiento, this career talk is an empowering event for the scholar. As a former Tzu Chi scholar fulfilling her goals as a certified public accountant and a senior finance manager, she hopes to inspire scholars to work towards their dream careers. “I know that they will go very far in life, and they can achieve greater goals throughout their careers,” she said.
Her return to Tzu Chi Foundation as a volunteer interviewer for the day was her way of saying thanks to Tzu Chi Foundation. “They are one of the reasons why I am here today, and I reached the career goal that I hoped to achieve.” Jhoy says she found strength in the confidence she got from being able to practice for job interviews.
Nervous but determined to face the challenge of a mock interview, Vincent Dayang attended the career talk to gain valuable lessons in building his career. Like Elvin, he became a scholar of Tzu Chi Foundation in his elementary years, during third grade. Now, he is about to complete his studies in Business Economics at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
Vincent’s journey as a student was filled with many challenges. He learned about Tzu Chi Foundation’s scholarship after his father got into an accident. “He was a truck driver back then and had gotten into an accident. He lost his left arm and left foot. We received financial assistance from Tzu Chi Foundation, and I was introduced to their scholarship program,” he explained.
Ecstatic to finally graduate, he now wants to give back to the foundation that helped him become a good citizen. Reflecting on his learnings for the day, he shared: “The discussion we had was very timely; it was learning how to plan, practice, and play. I always follow this when faced with difficulties, and this became instrumental in my ability to overcome these challenges.”
Elvin Mercader, a Tzu Chi Scholar and now a professional, shares important pointers to scholars in how to do well in their job interviews. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Jhoy Sarmiento attentively listens to the scholars’ answers to her questions. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Jhoy Sarmiento, a certified public accountant, introduces herself to the scholars whom she guided in the mock interviews. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Elvin Mercader (right) poses for a photo with the scholars he interviewed. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Elvin Mercader (left) poses for a photo with his former fellow scholars during their alumni homecoming at Tzu Chi in 2015 [Photo courtesy of Elvin Mercader.
Vincent Dayang, now a graduating Tzu Chi Scholar, shares his experiences during the career talk. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
Tzu Chi scholar Vincent Dayang donates to the victims of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Taiwan. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
“To our Tzu Chi scholars, as you face the reality of life, you need to persevere and work hard in looking for work. Just as I experienced in the past, this stage may be confusing and challenging, but with hard work and perseverance, you can overcome obstacles,” Daniella Macogue shared. 【Photo by Jeaneal Dando】
Jhoy Sarmiento shared valuable advice for scholars, saying: “For graduating scholars, If I can do it, I am certain that our graduating scholars can do it as well. Always aim high, because if you have a goal, that will serve as your direction to achieve your goals and succeed in the future.” 【Photo by Matt Serrano】
“I encourage our scholars to return to the foundation after they’ve graduated, to pay it forward. One day, you will be in the position where you are the one inspiring people. Also, do not forget to find your purpose,” Elvin Mercader shared. 【Photo by Matt Serrano】