Mary Rose S. Laguitao
Community Engagement Intern
BS Civil Engineering (in progress)
Mary Rose was born, raised, and currently lives in the northern highland of Luzon, Philippines, where she is pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Her experience through university was not as straightforward as most, where she had to navigate through the politics of discrimination based on socioeconomic status within the educational system. This experience has taught her to adapt to a highly competitive academic environment whilst developing strategies to conserve resources in order to continue her studies.
In 2015, she had the wonderful opportunity of working in the food & beverage industry in a restaurant at Mines View, Baguio City. Because the restaurant was located in the heart of a tourist destination, she was able to interact with people from all over the globe. These interactions have helped develop her communication skills, boost her self-confidence, and inspire in her a more worldly perspective.
This perspective is further solidified in a five-day National Leadership Training which was held at Teachers Camp, Baguio City during her secondary school days, where she garnered the award of valedictorian twice. Communication with the delegates fostered within her the idea that sustainable development is achievable through the sharing and understanding of cultures and their virtues to stimulate increased cooperation in an otherwise competitive global environment. She understands the importance of acting not only according to her own ability and beliefs, but to respect and understand the ideologies of various cultures.
Her beliefs are further compounded by her faith, and in 2019, she attended a five-day youth camp held at Sagada, Mt. Province, with the theme “Students Hub Activity the Righteous Elects to be Leaders of Integrity by Faith on to Eternity”. This camp helped to reconcile Christian values with leadership roles, and ingrained in her a strong sense of integrity not only in her professional and educational life, but personally as well.
Although she is now on hiatus in pursuing her degree in civil engineering, she is still keen on chasing her passions despite the various twists and turns through life. This grit and determination are perfectly summed up in the mantra that she lives by: “Commitment, dedication, plus courage, multiplied by faith with the subtraction of fear would sum up to the success of our journey in our own life.”