Alumni Gathering: Philippines
We met in Fraser Place Hotel, located in the business district of Makati. There were Global UGRADs from 2016-2018 and we enjoyed a performance by Kuya Lindo, who sang Christmas songs. We also shared Filipino delicacies such as pichi-pichi, palabok, fried chicken, and pork barbecue on stick.
We discussed our Global UGRAD experiences, swapping stories of how the program helped us to grow and how Global UGRAD helped create new opportunities for us. We discussed where we are now: Precious is an art teacher i n a private school, Fely is on her way to graduating college, Shira has graduated with Latin honors and has plans of pursuing graduate studies, and I am completing my bachelor’s degree while working as a freelance writer and a freelance private tutor.
We also discussed the natural ups and downs of life and what having support from each other means to us. I hope that the U.S. Department of State’s Global UGRAD Program will continue to give more undergraduates from around the globe the opportunity to make a difference in the world.
Written by Margaux Florenciano, 2017-18 Global UGRAD student from the Philippines at the University of Arkansas