11 Graduates Who Proved What Real Life Education Means

By: Alyssah Lucman , May 26, 2026

On the evening of May 22, 2026, STI College gathered at Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City to honor 11 graduates who have carried their STI education far beyond the classroom. The 2026 STI Distinguished Alumni Awards drew awardees from campuses across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao with graduates of programs ranging from Computer Science and Accountancy to Hotel and Restaurant Management and Communication.

Their careers span two decades and three continents. But the thread connecting all of them is the same: they built things, changed systems, and uplifted others with them.

"In many ways, the distance STI has traveled is reflected in the heights you have reached," said STI Vice President for Academics Karen Precious La Rosa-Tabije in her opening remarks that evening.

For today’s STI students, their stories serve as a powerful reminder: Your future is not limited by where you start but shaped by what you choose to build.

 

Excellence That Speaks for Itself

Four of this year's awardees have built careers defined by individual mastery. The kind that shows up in licensure exam results, Michelin-caliber kitchens, and international audit engagements.

Ma. Rachelle Agustin (STI College Balagtas, BS Accountancy, 2017) graduated Cum Laude, passed the CPA board in 2019, and now leads international audit engagements at Ernst & Young Global Delivery Services for clients in Australia and New Zealand while pursuing her MBA at the University of Western Australia.

Ryunosuke Senda (STI College Santa Rosa, BS Computer Engineering, 2017) earned six promotions in four years, was featured by CNET Japan for developing a cross-border real estate platform, and currently serves clients including Meta, Google, and Amazon Web Services at Tealium Japan.

Ronell Ate (STI College Legazpi, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management – now BS Hospitality Management, 2017) worked his way through The Oriental Hotel, The Lind Boracay, and Grand Hyatt Manila where he now leads the pastry and bakery kitchen as Chef de Partie.

Erica Beatrece De Leon (STI College Las Piñas, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management – now BS Hospitality Management, 2017) built a culinary career across the Philippines, the United States, and Australia, earning Employee of the Year at a Hyatt hotel in Tennessee before rising to Demi Chef de Partie at Shangri-La Sydney, where she was nominated for Rising Star of the Year in 2025.

 

 

Graduates Who Changed How Institutions Work

Others among this year's honorees did not just succeed within existing systems — they redesigned them.

Wilfred Mogado (STI College Novaliches, BS Computer Science, 2002) spent over two decades at the Department of Agriculture and is the core architect of the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, the national database that now underpins every government agricultural assistance program extended to Filipino farmers and fisherfolk. 

Ethel Babia Manalo (STI College Sta. Mesa, BS Computer Science, 2003) joined Globe Telecom as an IT support technician and rose to Assistant Director over 21 years, along the way authoring the frameworks that earned Globe its ISO 20000 IT Service Management Certification, a first in the Philippine telecom industry.

Stephen Moran (STI College Fairview, BS Computer Science, 2009) began his post-STI career as an IT instructor before finding his calling in human resources, eventually rising to Director of HR at Discovery Suites while leading organizations through mergers, rapid expansion, and the operational weight of a global pandemic. 

Atty. Michael Renz Ramos (STI College General Santos, BS Accountancy, 2017) passed both the CPA exam and the Philippine Bar before turning 30, returned to STI as an instructor immediately after licensure, and now works as a Court Decongestion Officer at the Regional Trial Court in Davao City, contributing directly to clearing the backlog in the Philippine justice system.

 

 

The Ones Who Brought Everyone with Them

Three of this year's awardees measure success not by what they have earned, but by how many people benefit from it.

Mayette Bagaforo (STI College Koronadal, BS Business Administration, 2014) opened Samgyupsaab Korean BBQ with 6 tables in Koronadal City. She now runs 7 branches across Mindanao, employs hundreds of workers including working students, and has donated computers, solar street lights, and medical supplies to communities across the region. 

Rommel Carlos (STI College Caloocan, BS Computer Science, 2006) built multiple companies after 14 years at Accenture including Go8 Technology, which serves global clients in FinTech and Web3, and Nokarin Travel and Tours, which supports over 1,000 van operators nationwide. He partners with STI College Caloocan to offer free programming training and employment opportunities to current students. 

Leiser Bautista (STI College Novaliches, BA Communication, 2017) stopped studying for two years due to financial hardship, returned to finish his degree, and built Filmstrip Pictures from a single camera into one of the country's most recognized production teams. He has notably served as the Director of Photography for a Netflix documentary filmed across the Philippines and Malaysia in 2024, and personally training the next generation of Filipino filmmakers along the way.

 

 

Real Life Success: The Legacy of Impact

VP Tabije’s words earlier in the evening had already framed what STI Alumni Association President Hernan Alar's closing would confirm. “Your success becomes our legacy,” Tabije shared, a statement that, by the end of the night, eleven careers had already proven true.

Alar closed the evening with a message that tied all 11 stories together. “Tonight is ultimately a celebration of resilience, of graduates who faced real hardship and chose to push through it anyway. That willingness to keep going is what makes your success worth honoring.”

Eleven graduates. Eleven paths. One education that made all of it possible.