Collin Powell once said, a dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hardwork. This is so true in the case of Kim Wesley Bautista, an Aboitiz scholar who recently passed the Mechanical Engineering licensure examination. Kim graduated Cum Laude last 2021 from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
A few months after he passed the board, Kim got accepted as a Design Engineer in Nagoya, Japan and is currently working at Yamaichi Special Steel.
Looking back at his board exam journey, Kim narrated how hard it was to prepare especially in the middle of the pandemic. “One of my main struggles was to have the motivation to study for at least 5 hours each day for five months. Since the review was fully online, it was hard for me to be consistently motivated,” he recalled.
(Left photo) Kim taking photos during UP’s Plant Visit at the Burgos Wind Farm; (Right photo) Kim was also selected as one of the delegates from UP Diliman to take part in the Hokkaido University Student Exchange Program (HUSTEP) where he studied Medical Device and Biomaterials, Law and Economics I, Japanese Management, and Agriculture for four months.
Determined to achieve his goal, Kim persevered and overcame the struggles. He stuck to his core and main objective. “I was motivated by repeatedly reminding myself of the purpose of why I am studying for the license. I kept on reminding myself of these two things: First, I will be able to serve the Philippine industries better as an Engineer if I have the license, and second for me, more people will listen to my opinion if I become a registered engineer,” Kim explained.
True enough, these motivations pushed him to be one of only 52% who passed the February 2022 licensure exam. He recalled how he was calm and collected while waiting for the results to come out, as he knew he did the best he could. “When I first learned that the board exam results had been released, I wasn’t really nervous at all as I knew that I did my best when I was still reviewing. Back then, I said to myself that I won’t regret anything regardless of the results. I am happy that I passed.”
This would have not been possible without Kim’s determination and the help and support extended by the people and organizations around him. Being part of the Aboitiz College Scholarship Program, Kim is extremely grateful for the opportunities the scholarship has provided him, “The program helped me to perform better in college as I was able to buy the books I needed with the book allowance from the scholarship. It also helped me in my board exam preparations as they sponsored my review,” Kim said.
Aside from the financial support, Kim was able to meet new friends in the Scholarship Program. These new found friends not only helped him accomplish community projects in College but they were also part of his support system in achieving his goals and aspirations.
Being part of the Aboitiz College Scholarship Program, Kim is just one of hundreds of scholars who had been provided with scholastic and professional opportunities. It also offers learning opportunities through its internship and development programs. It also provides the scholars the opportunity to network with one another through engagement activities such as their learning sessions, corporate social responsibility engagements and during annual general assembly.
“I applied for the program because I saw that this scholarship does not only eases students’ financial needs but also trains students to have field experience and develop their leadership skills. I view the scholarship as a program that can help scholars grow holistically.”, Kim said.
Aboitiz Foundation supports Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 which is quality education by providing scholarships in Higher education. You can also be part of the 2022 Aboitiz College Scholarship Program by visiting www.aboitizfoundation.com for more details.
