Filipina excels in prestigious Oxford Brookes
07/14/2011
LONDON, United Kingdom – A Filipina student in the United Kingdom has brought honor to the Philippines.
The 20-year-old Jean-Marie Baldado is top of the class for senior students who finished the business and management course at the prestigious Oxford Brookes University in London.
Baldado has already achieved many things in life.
A consistent scholar from elementary until high school, Baldado'’s relatives were no longer surprised when she emerged top of the class, beating even the Brits and other foreign students similarly taking up business and management.
Baldado received the rare honorary medal at Oxford, which symbolizes her being a first class honors degree student, the equivalent of summa cum laude in the Philippines.
With a population of 4,000 students, there are more than 300 taking up business management in Oxford Brookes.
"Hindi naman po sa pagmamayabang, ako lang po yung international student na nakakuha ng first class honors degree," Baldado said, adding that most of the others honored were British students.
Since the family of Baldado is financially hard up, her nurse-aunt, Milagros Galindo, took up the cudgels and answered the huge tuition of Jean-Marie after she passed the entrance exam at Oxford despite a continuing scholarship at the Southville Foreign University in the Philippines.
Jean-Marie's father, a lawyer, died when she was just 11 years old. Her mother, on the other hand, is tending to a small food business in Bacolod.
In high school, Baldado became editor-in-chief of The Bridge, a student newsletter of Southville University, and was heralded youth ambassador of the Philippines by Georgetown University after obtaining a separate scholarship.
Baldado admits it was tough embracing the British Academy System, with barely a year stay in the United Kingdom.
"Dapat gamay ang language. Mahirap for a student na hindi English yung main language to get that kind of honor at the end of the semester," she said.
If Baldado has a choice, she would pursue a Masters course, hopefully in the University of the Philippines or Harvard University in Boston.
She admits, however, that it is now payback time. She said she will help her other 5 siblings and the family of her Aunt Milagros.
"I'm given the opportunity to work for 2 years, so I'll grab it na. Ang plano ko po mag-work sa multinational company dito po sa UK. It's a logical progression in terms of my career path to continue that in the Philippines," Baldado said.
Baldado belongs to the last batch of international students who were granted a 2-year work permit by the UK Home Office.
Baldado has already achieved many things in life.
A consistent scholar from elementary until high school, Baldado'’s relatives were no longer surprised when she emerged top of the class, beating even the Brits and other foreign students similarly taking up business and management.
Baldado received the rare honorary medal at Oxford, which symbolizes her being a first class honors degree student, the equivalent of summa cum laude in the Philippines.
With a population of 4,000 students, there are more than 300 taking up business management in Oxford Brookes.
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| Jean-Marie Baldado. |
Since the family of Baldado is financially hard up, her nurse-aunt, Milagros Galindo, took up the cudgels and answered the huge tuition of Jean-Marie after she passed the entrance exam at Oxford despite a continuing scholarship at the Southville Foreign University in the Philippines.
Jean-Marie's father, a lawyer, died when she was just 11 years old. Her mother, on the other hand, is tending to a small food business in Bacolod.
In high school, Baldado became editor-in-chief of The Bridge, a student newsletter of Southville University, and was heralded youth ambassador of the Philippines by Georgetown University after obtaining a separate scholarship.
Baldado admits it was tough embracing the British Academy System, with barely a year stay in the United Kingdom.
"Dapat gamay ang language. Mahirap for a student na hindi English yung main language to get that kind of honor at the end of the semester," she said.
If Baldado has a choice, she would pursue a Masters course, hopefully in the University of the Philippines or Harvard University in Boston.
She admits, however, that it is now payback time. She said she will help her other 5 siblings and the family of her Aunt Milagros.
"I'm given the opportunity to work for 2 years, so I'll grab it na. Ang plano ko po mag-work sa multinational company dito po sa UK. It's a logical progression in terms of my career path to continue that in the Philippines," Baldado said.
Baldado belongs to the last batch of international students who were granted a 2-year work permit by the UK Home Office.
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