Jadin Zam Doctolero: Soaring to Greater Heights

“Nothing great is ever achieved without enduring much.” – St. Catherine of Siena

Ever since his high school years in Ateneo de Davao University, Jadin Zam S. Doctolero loved setting big goals and challenges for himself.  This mindset kept him focused on his work and encouraged him to constantly grow as a person.

Zam juggled both academics and extracurricular activities, to include representations in local and national competitions and conferences and being a student leader.  But being consistently on top in high school did not end the way he perceived it to be.  It was a rock-bottom moment for Zam when he failed to reach what he long aspired for at the end of his senior year. “At some point, I realized that there’s no other way to go but up. I set new goals and decided to prove to everyone that you can be a leader and a well-rounded student just by being yourself,” he shared.

Coming from an average family, living with his dream to study in prestigious universities in Manila was a major challenge. “I was researching the scholarships available among the top universities in the Philippines, and I happened to see DLSU’s comprehensive scholarship programs. I honestly got really enticed because there’s a stipend offered on top of them. I thought that the stipend would really help ease the financial burden on my parents, so I highly considered DLSU as the college I would go to,” Zam recalled.

Learning that around 25% of the student population in DLSU are full scholars, his initial thought of DLSU as a school for the rich waned. “I was amazed how DLSU really strives to make quality education accessible for all. I also liked how inclusive the community is and how everyone is made to feel that they are valued by others.” Being a Gokongwei Grants scholar uplifted his desire to be a chemical engineer,  “ito na talaga … my  future as a chemical engineer begins here,” he shared. 

As an active student leader, taking BS and MS programs at the same time, and with a heavy academic load, usually 27-30 units per term, posed a big challenge for Zam.  To cope with this immense load  and deadlines, he sought the help of his friends, especially during the days or weeks when he had to be absent in class.  Despite all the academic struggles, Zam still managed to be part of the DLSU student exchange program, having the chance to visit Kyoto University in Japan.  He also participated in various international conferences and competitions: a public speaking competition in Indonesia; HPAIR Conference in Harvard University; International Student Week in Germany; Tokyo Tech’s Engineering Study Program in Vietnam; and Hitachi Young Leaders’ Initiative in Singapore.  He also won awards abroad such as the Best Solution Innovation Award in Japan.  

All these international experiences molded him to be more open to others and to be confident in expressing himself to survive in a challenging environment.  In fact, he found comfort from his travel experiences abroad, by learning the Japanese language and culture, with the ongoing pandemic that has caused stress and depression to many including Zam.

“Being a Lasallian means going above and beyond what is expected of you but at the same time, being grounded on the Lasallian values and virtues. In order to do so, I believe that a Lasallian constantly strives to be better than yesterday and works to make an impact on their own fields in small but meaningful ways,” he affirmed.

“To the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation and to all donors of DLSU, thank you for supporting the University in making quality education more accessible to all.  I also hope that you may see me as an example of the enormous return of investment you can gain from supporting financially burdened students.”

Currently, Zam is a process engineer in Procter & Gamble.  As a young professional, he hopes to lead innovative projects and initiatives to enable more Filipinos to have access to everyday necessities, and in the long term, be able to touch and improve the lives of millions of consumers globally.