Scholars of private utility company pass board exams

Two scholars from a private utility company passed their respective board exams after overcoming personal hurdles and the struggle to learn in a virtual setup.

One of the scholars is Leslie Ann Polinar, a Bachelor of Science in Geodetic Engineering graduate from St. John Paul II College.

Determined to have better opportunities when she joins the workforce, Leslie applied for a scholarship since her father’s salary as a wheelchair repair technician was not enough to support her in college.

As a scholar, I received both financial and moral support. They have fully supported my tuition and even gave me an allowance,” Leslie added.

She graduated last June 2022 and was initially studying rigorously for the board exam until her father was hospitalized and had to be operated on due to a kidney complication.

Struggling to make ends meet to pay for her father’s hospital bills, Leslie was considering delaying taking the board exam until her father becomes well. However, with the help of relatives and friends, as well as kind strangers who donated when Leslie asked for help via a Facebook post, she was able to take the board exam in time with her father’s discharge from the hospital.

I was worried I couldn’t pass the board exam since I haven’t studied for a few weeks since my father was hospitalized,” Leslie was surprised when people started calling her a few days after the exam, congratulating her for passing the boards. She is one of the 602 passers out of the 1,142 exam takers.

Meanwhile, Shanaia Twain Ng graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of the Immaculate Concepcion.

Shanaia received a full scholarship per semester. It was enough to pay for her tuition fee, books, uniform, and school materials.

Due to the pandemic, Shanaiah was challenged by the shift to virtual classes which continued until her board exam review, “I only reviewed for three to four months. It was exhausting because I am not an effective learner in an online setup.”

When asked how she managed to graduate with honors and maintained her grades, Shanaia shared that with hard work, discipline, and time management, she was able to balance her responsibilities in school, church, and home.

When Shanaia took her board exam last September, she was one of the 719 passers out of the 1,114 exam takers.

After passing their board exams, on the one hand, Leslie is planning to apply to private agencies. Shanaiah, on the other hand, is planning to explore different career opportunities in nutritional assessment and public health in the field of education and the food service industry.

In line with the fourth Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, Davao Light and Power Co. Inc., an AboitizPower subsidiary, and Aboitiz Foundation Inc. have supported 127 scholars since 2011.