Two Students, Two Different Paths
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The 2026 scholarship announcement highlights two students entering fields that focus directly on children and learning. Czesna Louise Montaño is a first-year Bachelor of Special Needs Education student majoring in Elementary School Teaching and received the Alvin and Prima Hower Scholarship Program. Irish Gwen Talatala, meanwhile, is a first-year Bachelor of Early Childhood Education student and recipient of the Pilar Palacios PE Scholarship Program. Both grants cover four years in full, according to the Notre Dame GSC Alumni Association. Their courses lead in different directions, but both involve preparing educators who will work with young learners during important stages of development.
When Alumni Support Becomes Student Opportunity
Scholarships often begin with a financial contribution, but their effect is felt in a student's daily academic life. A full four-year grant can give recipients greater certainty as they plan their college education, particularly when pursuing degrees that require several years of study and professional preparation. In this case, the scholarship programs were made possible through the support of Alvin and Prima Hower and Pilar Palacios Pe, with the alumni association publicly thanking the benefactors for helping make the students' educational plans possible. The association also expressed appreciation to Notre Dame of Dadiangas University for providing the academic setting where the scholars can pursue their chosen programs.
The Kind of Education That Reaches Other Lives
There is something especially fitting about the two scholarship fields. Special-needs education focuses on supporting learners with diverse educational requirements, while early-childhood education concentrates on children during their formative years. Neither scholarship guarantees what the students will eventually do after graduation, so their future contributions should not be assumed. What can be said is that their chosen programs place education and child development at the center of their college preparation. The Notre Dame GSC Alumni Association described the scholarships as investments in opportunity and encouraged both recipients to make the most of their education. Their four-year journeys now have a strong beginning, backed by people willing to invest in their potential.
