MassCom alumnus donates P100,000-scholarship fund

Ted Regencia, a news journalist of Al Jazeera who covers Asia including the Middle East, has set up the Ruth B. Serate Scholarship Grant at the College of Mass Communication of Silliman University. The scholarship is open to continuing Bachelor of Mass Communication students beginning in the first semester of SY 2021-2022.

The donor has named the scholarship in honor of Ms. Ruth B. Serate, former head of the SU Scholarship and Aid Division, during whose time Silliman selected Regencia as one of the exchange students to be sent to the International Christian University in Tokyo.

“This is my own little way of remembering her,” Regencia explained. “She opened the door for me to dream bigger.”

The young student from Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte had just completed his second year at the College of Mass Communication when he got the exchange scholarship.  “More than the actual subjects I studied at ICU, I think being able to experience living and studying abroad at 17 (years) made a provincial kid like me more confident of myself,” the international journalist reminisced. “It made me realize that I was no different from other foreign students if I set my goals and work hard to achieve them.”

The Ruth B. Serate Scholarship Grant aims to help a deserving but financially challenged Mass Communication student complete their program. It hopes to help students who have demonstrated strong potential for journalism work.

Recalling the opportunity that he was given as a young student, Regencia wishes to ease promising students’ financial difficulties as they focus on professionalizing their latent skill.

With the scholarship, Regencia said, “I’m kind of paying it forward.” (MBQuiamco, CMC)