Angelica Lourdes “Des” N. Pangilinan knows firsthand how a scholarship can change a family’s future.

A graduate of the SM Foundation scholarship program, Pangilinan is now Tax and Audit Compliance Assistant Director at National University (NU) Philippines Inc., where she oversees compliance work across the university group.

Her journey began in 2010, when her parents faced the challenge of sending three children to college at the same time despite limited resources.

That year, Pangilinan was named one of the Kabayan Ten Outstanding Public School Students of the Philippines and received an SM Scholarship. The assistance allowed 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.

All three siblings eventually graduated and built their own careers. Pangilinan now also helps support 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.”

Pangilinan joined NU in 2022, initially leading the Finance department at NU Nazareth School. Two years later, she moved to her current position, overseeing tax and audit compliance across the NU Group.

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

Her decision to remain with NU was reinforced by a conversation with Vice President Demy Magpantay, who discussed 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,” Pangilinan said.

She has also sought to pass on the support and guidance she received as a scholar. Pangilinan conducts training sessions for NU finance staff, including new employees, and shares her knowledge and experience with colleagues.

She said her experience as a scholar taught her to value opportunities and recognize the sacrifices behind them.

Pangilinan often recalls a story shared by Harley Sy during an SM Foundation General Assembly. Sy recounted how a friend owned a watch worth millions while he continued wearing his old SM watch because both showed the same time.

For Pangilinan, the story reflects a broader lesson about success and purpose.

“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,” she said.

More than four years into her career at NU, Pangilinan said she has no immediate 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.”

For Pangilinan, the impact of the scholarship extends beyond the degree it helped her earn. It helped her family overcome financial difficulties and shaped how she approaches her work and leadership.

“Looking back, I realize that the true impact of the SM Foundation scholarship extends far beyond earning a diploma,” she said. “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.”

Her story is also part of a larger group of SM scholar-graduates who have gone on to build careers within the SM Group.

This September, SM Foundation is set to present its newest batch of college scholar-graduates as they begin their own professional journeys.