Determined. Competitive. Loving daughter and sister.This is how other people would describe Raquel Gamboa. And having a financially-strapped upbringing, Raquel was certainly motivated to dream big and work hard to provide a comfortable lifestyle to her family.

She studied diligently and was able to secure a full scholarship grant as a Student Assistant in then STI College – EDSA-Crossing (now STI College – Shaw). For three years, she worked in the Admissions and Registrar’s offices while carefully maintaining a 1.5 grade average every semester.

Juggling both studies and work is taxing, but Raquel was able to balance the two really well. “During my free time, I have to work at the Admissions office. But it helped that I also had unlimited access to the library and laboratory. So I didn’t have to buy books, I just borrowed from the library. And when we did our thesis, I had easy access to various thesis references.”

Raquel was also the quintessential student achiever. Aside from being a consistent dean’s lister, she was also active in extra-curricular activities being part of the school’s silent chorale and President of the Math Club.

All of Raquel’s hard work eventually paid off as she graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS). But more importantly, she was also able to secure a job right after college.

Raquel has since then worked in multinational IT companies such as Lawson Software and Emerson Network Power where she was given opportunities to handle big projects and even travel to the US for training. Today, Raquel works as a Project Team Leader in Ayala Land wherein her group handles the business analysis for the new companies built by Ayala Land.

Inch by inch, Raquel is now reaching her goals for her family. She was able to send her siblings to college, bought a van that her retired father can rent out to augment their family income, and send her family to vacation trips. 

Raquel credits her success to the education and training she received in STI. “The curriculum of STI is advanced compared to other schools. We use up-to-date programs in STI that we now also use in our company. My social skills and confidence level also greatly improved during my stint as Student Assistant. Kahit anong klaseng tao kaya ko harapin at kausapin.”

She also wishes to impart to her fellow STIers that, “Life will give you a great deal only if you are willing to exert yourself. Blessings will come your way if you work hard to achieve your goals. It will take time but the end result will definitely be worthwhile.”