By Nestle G. Taala

Ms. Maria Ella Juliana S. Capanang is the first-ever recipient of the Amor E. Soqueña Scholarship.

A pillar of strength and a foundation of hope – Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) student, Ms. Maria Ella Juliana S. Capanang, of Central Philippine University College of Nursing became the first-ever recipient of the Amor E. Soqueña Scholarship for CPU as she accepted the said grant during its presentation on February 24, 2022, at the Dr. Rex D. Drilon Building.

Having received this valuable support, Ms. Capanang is grateful and shared, “I’m very psyched up and motivated because this gave me a vision of what I would be like years from now. Through this scholarship, I also met people in the Mariano-Soqueña Foundation- people with the same passion for service as me, the same drive for volunteerism and integrity. That is why my happiness is overflowing.”

The Amor E. Soqueña Scholarship for CPU is a program that selects one incoming student from surrounding high schools who will receive a scholarship for full paid annual tuition to CPU for the duration of their studies every year until they graduate. It is one of the programs which comprised the Mariano- Soqueña Foundation that “aimed to help tomorrow’s youth in Hawaii and the Philippines succeed by creating opportunities through education, community service, and sports.” Amor E. Soqueña, herself, is also a Centralian alumna.

The presentation was attended by, Eugene Soqueña, Ryan Soqueña, Joe Awong, and Pat O’Brien from Mariano-Soqueña Foundation; Prof. Lena Giron, and Prof. Melba Sale of the CPU College of Nursing; and Ms. Capanang’s family members, Junalen Capanang and Erlinda Capanang.

Every day, a person strives to survive. Even if one is a believer that the most important help should come from within, it is during this moment – the giving of scholarship – which shows that God would remind him of the value of stewardship. As defined by CPU, stewardship is “the proper and responsible management of life, position, possession, and other resources entrusted by God to man” hence having received an award or in this case scholarship, a person is also given its corresponding responsibility. Ms. Capanang, in this light, puts it this way “With this scholarship, I am given an opportunity to use what was granted to me and ‘pay it forward’ someday.”