Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao IS THE FIRST SCHOOL IN MINDANAO TO PARTNER WITH SAGE THROUGH YMCA DAVAO AND MAKATI

The speakers for the SAGE Masterclass Program Season 5: (from left to right) Prof. Sattar Bawany, Yemi Keri, Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, Colin Blackwell, Amb. Dato Amitahun, Dr. Ivan Jovetic, Megan Young-Daez, Maureen Nova Ledesma, and Abel Zhao.

Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao, A Mapúa School, is the first school in Mindanao to partner with the School of Agility, Grit, and Entrepreneurship (SAGE) through YMCA of Davao, Inc. & Makati last October 12 until October 30, 2020, bringing an interactive masterclass program to its students as aspiring entrepreneurs, taught personally by renowned CEOs from all over the globe.

Students from the Senior High School department, Alfonso T. Yuchengco College of Business, as well as some faculty members, signed up to be SAGE Scholars for Season 5 of the SAGE Masterclass Program—grabbing the opportunity to take nine courses and learning from leading entrepreneurs from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and more. The invited speakers for the SAGE Masterclass Program Season 5 were Prof. Sattar Bawany, Yemi Keri, Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, Colin Blackwell, Amb. Dato Amitahun, Dr. Ivan Jovetic, Megan Young-Daez, Maureen Nova Ledesma, and Abel Zhao.

In the SAGE Masterclass Program, the students were introduced to the truths and realities of the business world as the speakers share different perspectives, insights, and lessons, telling stories of how they began and where they are now as founders and leaders of their businesses. The speakers were also able to share personal experiences about their business ventures, discussing key trends and highlights in entrepreneurship, learning how and why businesspersons will invest in startups, delivering an elevator pitch, finding happiness and purpose within oneself, mentoring people, learning to be teachable, and more.

“Having the opportunity to be one of the scholars for the SAGE Masterclass Program Season 6 is definitely a great stepping stone towards reaching my goal to be fully-equipped and become future-ready as I have acquired so much knowledge from the nine Emerging Global Leaders who genuinely shared their experiences and significant contributions. Among all the things I have learned, there are these five statements that encompass everything. First, we define our own success. Second, ‘You can fail, but don’t quit.’ Third, keep the hustle and be agile. Fourth, be a risk-taker, and lastly, have a goal and purpose-driven mindset.” Ms. Thea Amor Valenzuela, a 1st Year BS Tourism Management student and SAGE scholar shared her insights upon finishing the program.

“As a faculty member who is also a SAGE Scholar, the significant lesson I learned that I am excited to share with my students is the gift of optimism in taking risk of a venture. good mindset would lead us to success. It’s difficult to pursue a venture without courage, but with the help of a positive mind, you surely can! Since the nature of the talks is about entrepreneurship, as an Accounting, Business, and Management (ABM) teacher, this is a great help for me to share with our students especially in our APP2 subject and other specialized subjects for ABM strand students.” Mrs. Fides Simbulas, ABM Cluster Head, Senior High School faculty member, and SAGE Scholar, stated.

Moreover, the SAGE Masterclass Program also provided the opportunity for the students to raise questions and share insights to world-renowned CEOs, allowing exclusive conversations and mentoring from top players in entrepreneurship. The students were able to graduate last November 19, 2020, after completing the nine courses. Afterwhich, they are given the chance to proceed to the next level of the program. The next stages entail business conceptualization and business models, then eventually proceeding to gain access to SAGE’s wide network of successful international entrepreneurs, and then lastly have the chance to join the funding and mentorship program.

“Partnership with SAGE will boost not only the know-how, skills, and competencies of the students and faculty members but also foster a dynamic and active linkage and strategic partnership for MapúaMCM. Collaboration and strategic partnerships are fundamental to improving learning and teaching outcomes. In today’s fast-paced environment, a ‘do-it-alone’ approach is not the best strategy for growth and development. Institutions that initially grew organically need to look for new ways to drive collaborative innovation that delivers on what their stakeholders need today – and in the future. Strategic partnerships benefit everyone: businesses, employees, and customers. Institutions like MapúaMCM can broaden their relevance and increase their addressable market; customers benefit from the strengths and offerings each institution brings to the table, and employees can expand their development opportunities by being exposed to new perspectives and expertise. Plus, deepening ties between complementary institutions fosters collaboration and longevity, and allows them to offer services and solutions that help their stakeholders become more successful.” Dr. Flora Yparraguirre, Principal of the Senior High School Department, said.

“As a very young Higher Education Institution, this is a milestone for Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao. The ability of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao to provide world-class digital education complements seamlessly with SAGE’s digital platform and an impressive line-up of industry mentors. MapúaMCM and SAGE share a similar vision, in building the mindset and skills of students to increase success in entrepreneurship. The eventual winners of this partnership are the students.” Dr. Jose Paolo Mack, Dean of the Alfonso T. Yuchengco College of Business, stated.

Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao is beginning to cement its identity and making itself known as a professional institution that delivers world-class education, by partnering with organizations that are motivated to extend its expertise to the roots of Mindanao and its youth, to produce exceptional graduates who are locally and globally in-demand.