The Scholarship that Changed More than One Life

Every year, SM Foundation sends thousands of scholars off to college. What’s less known is how many of them come back, not as beneficiaries, but as colleagues. 

Angelica Lourdes “Des” N. Pangilinan, a scholar-graduate, is one of them. She is now building her career within the SM Group as Tax and Audit Compliance Assistant Director at National University (NU) Philippines, Inc.

For Des, the scholarship became more than a path to a diploma. It became a lifeline for her family and inspired her to pay forward the kindness she received.

“Looking back, I realize that the true impact of the SM Foundation scholarship extends far beyond earning a diploma,” said Des. “It created opportunities for my entire family, improved our living standards, and inspired me to pay forward the kindness and trust that were once extended to me.”

In 2010, Des’ parents faced a difficult choice: how to send three children to college at once on limited means. That same year, she was named one of the Kabayan Ten Outstanding Public School Students of the Philippines and awarded an SM Scholarship, allowing her parents to focus their resources on her younger siblings.

“The scholarship changed more than my life. It helped my parents send all their children to school and gave our family the chance to overcome our financial limitations,” she said.

Today, all three siblings have graduated and built their own careers, while Des supports her parents. “I now have the privilege of supporting and spending more time with our senior parents,” she said. “Being there for them after all their sacrifices is something I deeply value.”

“As an SM Scholar, I have always been grateful to the Sy family for making it possible for me to earn my degree,” said Des.

Her decision to stay at NU was reinforced by a conversation with VP Demy Magpantay, who, without knowing she had been an SM Scholar herself, spoke about the Sy family’s vision for the university and the kind of leaders it needed. 

“It affirmed my belief that I wanted to be part of an institution whose work extends beyond financial performance and contributes meaningfully to nation-building through education,” she explained. 

That same sense of purpose shaped how she approached her education and continues to guide her as a leader. To her, every scholarship benefit represented a sacrifice from someone who believed in her potential.

She worked hard to make the Dean’s List, knowing that the support she received helped ease her family’s daily needs.

That spirit of paying it forward continues to shape how Des leads. She conducts training sessions for NU’s finance staff, including new team members, sharing the knowledge and guidance she once received as a scholar.

Des often recalls a story Mr. Harley Sy shared at an SM Foundation General Assembly. While a friend owned a watch worth millions, Mr. Sy continued to wear his old SM watch, which told the same time.

“Success is not measured by what we own, but by the difference we make in the lives of others and in the communities we serve,” Des said. “That is a lesson I continue to carry with me, both in my work and in how I live.”

More than four years into her role, Des has no plans to leave.“I have learned that commitment is not measured by the number of years, but by the purpose that keeps you coming to work every day,” she said. “As long as I am able to make a meaningful contribution to NU, I would be honored to continue serving the University.”

A scholarship does not end with a diploma. For Des, it continues through the family she was able to help, the colleagues she now mentors, and the work she does for others.

Her story began the way thousands of SM scholars’ stories do, with a scholarship, a family counting on her, and years of hard work ahead. This September, SM Foundation will present its newest batch of scholar-graduates at the Presentation of SM College Scholar Graduates 2026, as they begin their own journeys and carry forward the possibilities that education can create.