CATBALOGAN CITY─ Giving pride to her home university, Samar State University (SSU), and to her hometown, Samar, is Ms. Andrea Faye Mendoza, a 3rd year Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) Major in English student after she succeeded an arduous process of the 2021-2022 Global Undergraduate Program of Fulbright, a program administered by the Philippine-American Educational Foundation and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to emerging student-leaders who are underrepresented, from a non-elite background, and haven’t had any opportunities to study in the host country.
Ms. Mendoza has been affiliated with WEDU Rising Star, a social enterprise which provides high potential young women (“Rising Stars”) from Asian communities with access to long-term mentorship and financing options to complete higher education and develop leadership skills; and Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), a program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia which served as portals leading her to this opportunity.
Excited to test her communication skills with native speakers and her command in the English language, Ms. Andrea will be enrolled full-time for one semester to a non-degree undergraduate course from the existing curriculum of a host U.S. college or university. She’ll be exposed to U.S. society, culture, and academic institutions and will be required to participate in 20 hours of community service.
“Studying in the U.S. is my dream come true,” happily admitted the newly-granted scholar.
She dedicates this achievement to her parents most especially her dad who never failed to support her, to her family and all people who believed in her, and to SSU which motivated her to dream bigger and wider.
Asked on her advice to fellow students and young people like herself, she said, “Do not and never give up. There will be ups and downs but towards the end, the victory is sweet. The world is so big and it is waiting for all of us to see.”
This SSU’s 1st Fulbright Scholar surely lightens up the path of the University’s vision to become one of the top 200 universities in Asia by 2040.
