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In 2018, Mariz Lacanilao, a student in her last semester of college, was eager to get a job after 10 long years of studying Chemical Engineering in UP Los Baños. She applied for a loan from InvestEd during this time to help ease the financial burden of her family.
Mariz is a smart, talented and humble engineer from Quezon City. When she became part of the Investee Success Program through applying for an InvestEd education loan in 2018, she was in her last semester of college, eager to help her family and preparing for whatever opportunities await her after college.
She felt that it was time for her to contribute to her family’s expenses, having been financially supported by her parents (her father, a bus conductor; and her mother, a housewife) the past ten years as she completed an engineering degree in one of the most competitive universities in the country. Mariz was determined to ease her family’s expenses on her education so her brother, who (in her words) was unlike her since he was not “delayed” [in completing his course], would also be able to graduate that same year.
Scrolling through Facebook one day, Mariz saw InvestEd and thought that it was the perfect opportunity to help her family. She applied for a loan, got accepted and became part of the Investee Success Program. During this time, Mariz participated in a workshop by InvestEd on career success and financial literacy which helped her strategize on how to write strong resumés, navigate job interviews and properly budget her expenses as she goes through job hunting.
As she completed her final semester, Mariz sent out resumés and rolled out a plan to be able to get employed before graduation, motivated by what she learned in the Investee Success Program. Her hard work paid off as she was able to land a job a month before graduation and just five (5) days into her job search, in an International Manufacturing Firm which supplied local semiconductors and exported parts for cars, phones, et al in the Asia Pacific Region.
Mariz felt that her future was at the tip of her fingers and that timing was finally on her side. She recalls being amazed at how everything aligned for her when she joined the Investee Success Program — “Yung success program palang ang dami na naitulong sa akin. Mas thankful ako doon kaysa sa [sic] monetary assistance, sa totoo lang. Kagaya yung financial planning, wala kasi sa school ‘yun, kaya nakatulong siya sa akin ngayon.”, Mariz admits shyly.
As many graduating college students in the country now face unprecedented delays in their studies/graduation and uncertainty in future employment, we asked Mariz what advice she can share to students who are experiencing anxiety due to educational and financial disruptions stemming from the current COVID-19 crisis, she shared “Never give up. Maniwala sa sarili. Pero kung hindi ka talaga meant to graduate ngayon, it doesn’t mean na wala ka nang options. Pwede ka muna magtrabaho, mag-gain ng experience, tapos tapusin mo ‘pag ok na [sic] ang sitwasyon.”