Piolo Cudal, News, PUP Campus Journalists
A senior student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP)-Department of Journalism (DOJ) will represent the Philippines at the upcoming 27th MCW Young Leaders Fellowship at New York University and Champlain College in July 2024.
Among the 3,000 applicants received by the program globally, John Rojell Elizaga was selected to be part of the year-long program that equips young people with the skills necessary to help their community in areas such as education, health, and economic security.
As a selected member of the fellowship, training on leadership development, global citizenship, self-awareness, and vision development will be provided to Elizaga.
“At first, I really did not expect to get in na rin talaga since I saw how rigorous the stage will be, like there’s three stages: application, community survey, and final interview,” Elizaga told PUP Campus Journalists.
Education as ‘equalizer’ Promoting accessible and quality education has always been Elizaga’s advocacy. As someone who grew up in a poor family, he views education as an ‘equalizer in life,’ reiterating its power to transform lives and help people achieve their dreams.
Reflecting on these experiences, he saw the need to give back to his community to help the younger generation.
Elizaga started advocating for Children in Street Situations (CISS) in Manila. He has also partnered with ChildHope Philippines, a non-profit organization committed to reducing the number of children on the streets, and has organized various knowledge-filled initiatives.
Even if “they don’t have the support system to hold on to,” he hopes to help these children finish their education.
“I want to impart to them that education is indeed powerful... And that’s our goal—to inspire more kids and show them how education can uplift them. And as students and advocates, we can help in myriad ample ways to support and teach one kid at a time,” he added.
In the Philippines, he said many Filipinos, particularly children, continue to lack access to quality education, with implications such as an increase in children living on the streets.
To address this problem, he believes that a holistic approach to education and leadership development will empower street children, as it can help them reach their “full potential as agents of change.”
Following his selection, Elizaga emphasized the importance of leadership training like the MCW Young Leaders Fellowship in contributing to nation-building and amplifying calls for change.
“Hopefully, we can explore global citizenship, practice vision planning, and learn leadership development...so that we can sharpen our project for the children of Ermita, Manila, and later expand this to other cities in the Philippines, particularly in my municipality in Binangonan, Rizal,” he concluded.
University pride Meanwhile, in a message delivered during the flag-raising ceremony on February 5, University President Dr. Manuel Muhi expressed his appreciation to all PUPians who continue to bring honor to Sintang Paaralan.
“Sa mga nakaraang taon, patuloy tayong nagtatagumpay sa iba’t-ibang larangan mula sa akademiko hanggang sa mga gawain sa kultura at sining. Ito ay patunay ng ating pagiging isang institusyon ng kahusayan at kagalingan,” said Dr. Muhi.
(“The past years have been good to us given the many victories we received in various fields such as academics, culture and the arts. Such feats prove our value as an institution of excellence and quality.”)
Additionally, COC Dean Hemmady Mora has also expressed her enthusiasm about Elizaga’s selection, stating that she has known him as “reliable and trustworthy” in her office since he was a volunteer.
“Tuwang-tuwa kami sa pagkapanalo niya. Sabi ko nga, mag-celebrate tayo kapag nakapasok siya sa fellowship. As Dean of the College, we share in John Rojell’s achievement. Sana ay mas marami pa tayong estudyante na makakuha ng ganitong opportunity since our Sintang Paaralan is very good and it offers high quality education,” she added.
(“We are very happy with this victory. I said to him, we need to celebrate his milestone once he gets selected for the fellowship. As Dean of the College, we share in John Rojell’s achievement. I hope that more students would be able to get this kind of opportunity since our Sintang Paaralan is very good and it offers high quality education.”)
In 2013, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) named PUP a Center of Development in Journalism making the program a top choice for aspiring media professionals. PUP remains a formidable choice for communication-related studies across the country.
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