English teacher receives scholarship from Harvard U, cites EducationUSA assistance

Years ago, Filipino teacher Nicah Santos could only dream of studying in the United States and attending the prestigious Harvard University.

But with her efforts and guidance from EducationUSA Philippines, she is now on track to begin her Master’s degree in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education on a partial scholarship.

During the pandemic, the former English teacher at Xavier School San Juan focused on her graduate school applications.  She took advantage of the free college advising service being offered by the EducationUSA office at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.

“EducationUSA provided helpful advice about preparing my application materials and was so encouraging throughout the process,” she said.

EducationUSA provides free advising services to prospective international students in more than 170 countries, and offers students resources and tools to help navigate the five steps to U.S. study: researching schools, identifying financial aid opportunities, completing the application, obtaining a student visa, and preparing for departure.

On August 27 at 7:45 p.m., EducationUSA Philippines will be holding its annual Graduate School Fair via Zoom for free.  At the fair, participants will get to meet representatives from 30 world-class U.S. graduate schools, receive college application advice, and explore the benefits of having a U.S. degree.  Registration is still ongoing, and more information is available here: https://educationusaph.org/GradSchoolFair2021.

Santos said she encourages other Filipinos to find a good-fit U.S. graduate school that also matches their career plans.

“Find a program that aligns perfectly with your career goals and interests.  Grad schools seek out prospective students whose values and ambitions align with their own.  If it feels right for you, then it may very well be for you,” she said.

Santos said she’s now excited to “learn from the world’s brightest minds in education and learning design.”

“Harvard’s career services office has provided such helpful guidance in figuring out what to do next in my career.  With the university’s help, we students underwent a skills gap analysis in which we figured out what knowledge, skills, and experiences we needed to gain to reach our dream positions and companies,” she said.

There are more than 4,700 accredited higher education institutions in the United States, and an EducationUSA adviser can help students narrow their options, define their priorities, and plan their college careers.  EducationUSA does not offer scholarships, but can assist students in identifying scholarship and financial assistance opportunities.

You can find more information about EducationUSA at http://educationusaph.org/about.