Making room for the page

A scholarship is usually counted in tuition paid. Vermeil Chern Caspillan counts his in room: room to stay in school when his plans fell apart, room to rest when he got burned out, and room to grow into the journalist he had wanted to be since sixth grade.

At 22, Caspillan currently makes room for other people’s stories as a layout artist at the DAILY TRIBUNE, one of the largest national newspaper and multimedia organizations in the Philippines. Last July 2026, he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Batangas. He is one of 274 SM Foundation scholars who finished college this year.

Caspillan’s passion for journalism began in elementary school in Calamba, Laguna. While studying at The Manila Times College of Subic, a school administrator recommended him for the SM scholarship, easing his family’s financial burden.

Then the ground shifted.

After his first year of college, his course at the school was discontinued. He chose to transfer to the University of Batangas to stay on a communication track, even though his new program was not among those the scholarship usually covered. The family braced for the possibility of losing the grant. Instead, the Foundation’s education team walked him through the transfer, and he kept his scholarship for three more years.

Being a scholar, he says, gave him more than tuition. Hearing the stories of fellow scholars “made me realize how privileged we are to be receiving anything,” he says.

He learned to treat help as something to be grateful for, never something owed. As a transferee who preferred his own company, he also pushed himself to form real friendships with classmates, juniors and teachers.

“People who want to pursue this industry need not only talent, but also the dedication to learn media skills,” Caspillan says, emphasizing that genuine passion fuels long-term perseverance.

Today, layout has become its own kind of storytelling, and Caspillan hopes to write again someday as a contributor.

A scholarship made room for him to keep going when the path shifted. Now, day after day, Vermeil makes room on the page for the news, for the world, and for young readers who may one day find their own stories there.