Ateneo Alumni Scholars Association turns over PhP4.5M scholarship endowment in honor of Fr Jett Villarin SJ

The Ateneo Alumni Scholars Association Board of Directors (AASA BOD) met for the first time with University President, Fr. Roberto "Bobby" Yap, SJ through Zoom last Saturday, 6 March, 2021. AASA President and LS Biology faculty, Dr Ronald Allan L Cruz, presented AASA’s mission and vision, scholarship support for 53 enrolled scholars, collection targets, regular activities, and endowments raised since 1987, when Fr Bill Kreutz, SJ founded the group.
 
During this special time with Fr Yap, young alumni scholars and AASA BOD Anna and William Yu officially turned over their scholarship donation of P4.5M to the University, to establish the AASA – Fr Jett T Villarin, SJ Endowment for science majors. This is AASA’s 13^th endowment, bringing AASA’s total principal endowment donation to P45M. (This particular endowment was first presented as a gift to Fr Villarin when the AASA BOD greeted him on his birthday last 30 January via Zoom.) Anna is also a member of the AASA BOD, while William is a lecturer in the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science (DISCS).

 
William shared, “Fr Jett was instrumental in our work on the use of high performance computing for climate modeling when I was completing my studies at the Ateneo. This knowledge and general love of the sciences are what I was able to bring to my corporate life servicing some of the biggest companies in the Philippines and even the world. Having been blessed as scholars in the Ateneo, it is only right for Anna and me to give the same opportunity to others with this scholarship grant.”
 
“My soul magnifies the Lord”, is Anna’s Magnificat in echoing William’s immense gratitude for the abundant blessings received through an Ateneo education and her keen desire for other talented young men and women, perhaps provincial students like them, to be provided quality Jesuit education and professional training that will similarly transform their lives.
 
Feeling a bit nostalgic, Fr Yap also shared his own “scholar story” as a high school graduate from Cebu, an AB Economics major, a Cervini dormer, and an ACLC and OSCI org member, which all providentially culminated to his answering God’s call to be a Jesuit.  He gratefully acknowledged AASA’s consistent scholarship efforts in helping the University reach its goal of having 20% of the college student population on partial or full scholarships, a goal finally realized this pandemic schoolyear after three decades of team effort and hard work. Fr Yap offered to promote and support AASA’s activities and projects in the future.
 
Also present during the Zoom call were alumni scholars, Bles Ancheta-Mallillin, Malou Flores-Mercado, Lorna Datiles-Fabian, Boying dela Cruz, Dyke Guevara, Jolly Morata, Bambi Claravall, Dindy Laspiñas, Enzo Payonga, Lidel Bajao, Trisha Garcia-Bacani, AASA Staff Joyce Rivera and Lanie Pacillos, and OAA Scholarship Officer, Tin Escalona-Magboo.
 
AASA hopes to #GOSTRONG during this pandemic and raise much needed scholarship funds through the generosity of our alumni scholars here and abroad.