WATCH: These working students are stepping up for their future with the help of Mapúa Malayan Digital College
MANILA, Philippines — Being a working student should be a badge of honor.
Working students don’t have the privilege of being a full-time student who can focus on finishing their degrees without having to think about bringing food to the table or a full-time employee who can concentrate on advancing their careers because they have the necessary educational attainment to be considered for a promotion.
Just like everyone, they get 24 hours a day, but every day can be a whirlwind of work deadlines, academic demands and countless responsibilities. It’s a tough life, that stepping up onto this path says a lot about who they are.
This is a unique experience many of us can only imagine, but for Kyla Besañez and Michael Paulo Sudara, working students at Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC), this is their everyday.
Their stories highlight not only their remarkable resilience and determination, but also how the premier online college has empowered them to pursue this demanding yet fulfilling path.
Kyla isn’t new to the hustle life. At 17, her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she had to take on various jobs to support her family while still attending high school. Now a freelance brand manager, Kyla decided to continue her college education as a promise to her late mother.
Michael, a father of two working in the tech industry, had always believed his experiences and skills would speak for themselves. But as promotions consistently passed him by, he understood the harsh truth: without a college degree, his career would remain stagnant
Both Kyla and Michael have been stepping up their careers by pursuing a degree at MMDC. They chose MMDC for its academic reputation as part of the Mapúa heritage and its student-centric and modern online learning model. With professor-led synchronous classes offered with morning, afternoon and evening schedules, they can effectively balance their studies with their professional and personal lives.
Furthermore, MMDC’s Projects, Problems and Cases (PPC) approach replaces traditional exams with practical and hands-on exercises, allowing students to apply their learning directly to their careers.
Students also benefit from mentorship by academic and industry professionals, who provide valuable guidance and real-world insights. MMDC’s upgraded learning model this year includes access to top content from universities and organizations worldwide and AI features that enable working students to study at their own pace for increased flexibility.
The college is also giving working students more options for upskilling with its new Career Leap Pad Certification Program, a collection of internationally-recognized microcredential courses designed to help non-graduate jobseekers, working professionals and career shifters secure better jobs or enter new fields.
As a staunch ally of working students, MMDC dedicates March 21 as the National Working Students Day in the Philippines to bring their stories to the fore and call for broader support as part of its Step Up Sa Pangarap movement.
After all, for these students, earning a diploma may often feel like a never-ending climb. But with allies like Mapúa Malayan Digital College as well as employers and organizations, stepping up becomes less daunting and the summit comes within reach.
To learn more about Mapúa Malayan Digital College and #WorkingStudentsDayPH, visit www.mmdc.mcl.edu.ph or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. — Video by Philstar #BrandSpace.
Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by Mapúa. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
