By Arianne Rose Tafalla-Salcedo
“I want to help and contribute something in the conservation and protection of the marine environment and the skills, experiences, and learning I’ll get from this program will serve as my stepping stone in becoming an ecowarrior and extend help to mother earth”, says Ms. Irene Jean C. Lagumbay.
Ms. Lagumbay, a faculty of SSU-Mercedes Campus is a recipient of the Erasmus Mundos Scholarship Program under the Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystem (TROPIMUNDO) program. She’ll be enrolled for the entire two-year duration of the program at the assigned home university.
From Talisay Bontoc, Southern Leyte, this 25-year old TROPIMUNDO scholar gets another ‘heart flutter’ as she flies to Belgium today, December 3, to physically attend graduate school.
Being an applicant
Recounting her application process, she told insider she was just 15-minute ahead the deadline. She describes herself as a ‘deadliner’, one who beats deadlines just right on time.
Being a cum laude under the program BS Biology major in Marine Biology at Visayas State University, it was her dream to study in Belgium with a degree related to ecosystem and environmental management or just anything related to her course.
“This grant is a realization of my long-awaited dream,” she said.
She also recalled how a colleague and a Vlir-ous Scholarship grantee who also studied in Belgium, Ms. Shirleen Grace Brillantes, inspired and motivated her to this application.
It was Christmas eve of last year that she received the great news of being one of the two grantees from the Philippines for this particular scholarship.
Being an awardee
More than immersing into the European culture, Ms. Lagumbay believes that the scholarship will build two important outcomes: linkages and a competent faculty-researcher.
“Studying in four prestigious universities worldwide in the field of Marine Biology will help me achieve the ‘We innovate. We build. We serve.’ mantra of SSU for the university and the people it serves,” she promised.
With commitment, she added that she’ll engage and formulate proposals and activities that will have significant impacts to the fishery and locals of Samar. Her proposed thesis for the grant is Genetic Diversity and Connectivity of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster planci in the Coral Triangle: Implications for Management.
There are anxieties in studying abroad, she revealed. But with strong support system from her family, friends, and colleagues and of course, inner grit, she’s positive she’ll triumph at the end and come back home as a full-fledged ecowarrior of SSU and of Samar.