Jerwin Lawrence Go: Believe and Achieve

Jerwin was content with his laid-back life during high school. Yet even with this disposition, he never let himself slip into complacency, especially because his parents inculcated in him the importance of education at an early age. His parents disciplined him enough for him to prioritize and discern the value of his schooling before anything else. Belonging to the star section of his high school, he naturally received his fair share of academic honors. He also recalls how supportive his environment was, “I really enjoyed high school, part of which were my friends who were very helpful [in academics].”

Jerwin had to choose between medicine or chemical engineering after high school. The scholarship opportunity from De La Salle University, being known for its prestigious engineering programs, paved the way for Jerwin to pursue his dream of becoming a chemical engineer. 

“The campus was really beautiful. I could really see myself studying in La Salle,” Jerwin shared the moment he stepped into DLSU. He was able to adapt easily to his environment in La Salle, given how welcoming and inclusive his upper batches were.

Despite the inclusivity and the supportive atmosphere Jerwin experienced, however, challenges still lay ahead for scholars like him. During his second year, he took the opportunity to take the ladderized program offered by the Chemical Engineering department. He recalls the difficult moments in doing research  with a multi-disciplinary approach: “Throughout my entire (thesis) process, my objectives and methodologies  constantly changed.” 

His undergraduate and master’s thesis was about utilizing bamboo to remove copper from water. “I wanted something that isn’t purely computer-based. I wanted tactile-based research. I also wanted to do research on environment-related topics.” He also notes how his study can eventually help the environment, “In the Philippines, there are a lot of dead rivers. These dead rivers are considered highly polluted and unable to support life. One has to undertake research regarding particular plants that can help revive the bodies of water and not destroy the ecosystem.” With this kind of research, Jerwin hopes that future students would be able to further integrate multi-disciplinary studies in their research. 

For Jerwin, a Lasallian is a lifelong learner. “You are given and trained with a different perspective than others, and you are going to be able to see problems that other people are not going to see as problems. What Lasallian education allows you to bring to the table is this perspective in challenging things, in improving things, and utilizing your skills in order to see change.”

DLSU awakened in him the motivation and determination to maximize his own academic capabilities. Jerwin shares, “It’s a good kind of pressure. It’s also a big encouragement and it’s a big privilege.” He notes that his access to world-class facilities and quality Lasallian education was made possible through the scholarship given by the University, which he thinks is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Jerwin plans to give back by passing down his own experiences, skills, and knowledge through teaching after getting enough industrial experience.By next term, he will start his part-time teaching stint at DLSU, to give back to the community that honed him to believe and achieve.

Jerwin is a DLSU Gokongwei Grant recipient.  In partnership with the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation Inc., the Gokongwei Grants are given to students who wish to pursue priority fields of study in any undergraduate engineering degree program as offered by the college.  The scholarship privileges are full tuition and fees waiver, monthly stipend, and book allowance.

To know more about DLSU Scholarships, visit https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/admissions/scholarships/

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