Shooting for Stanford: Pinay Conquers the Ivy League

The Ivy League.

It is a phrase most Filipinos only hear about in the movies or on TV series. Even for Americans, whose country actually houses these elite universities and colleges, attending an academe with such a title is a coveted achievement.

So why would Filipinos, an ocean away, think they have a chance at this prestige?

Danica Jacinto would certainly have none of that thought. In fact, she is living proof that it is not an impossible feat. At 29 years old, Jacinto finished her master’s degree in Business Administration at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

It was a surprise even for her. Years prior, taking an MBA was out of the picture—after all, she already had a career overseas.

“I graduated from UP and immediately started work at Credit Suisse in Manila, and then eventually moved with the company to Singapore,” she said.

However, she eventually realized she had hit a ceiling.

“Work was challenging and I loved that. Each deal was a new problem to be solved. I travelled all around the world. I found mentors in my team who really supported me within the firm,” she said. “But after 5 years, the job took its toll. I was working 80-100 hour weeks and couldn’t see myself doing that going forward.”

‘Unreachable’

Starting back from scratch, Danica tried something she thought she would never have to do.

“Because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, only what I didn’t want to do, I decided to apply to business schools. After all, I’d paid my dues in investment banking for so long—it would be great to take a break and focus on myself,” she said.

Then she took a step further; she decided to shoot for something she, like most of her countrymen, thought was unreachable. She set her eyes on the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a prominent name in the field of business studies—and for good reason.

“Stanford wasn’t even on my initial list of b-schools (business schools) – at the time it was ranked #1 business school in the US with an acceptance rate of 6 percent! Intimidating numbers,” she said. “My boss convinced me to apply though, citing that I would be suited for the West Coast culture.”

She was glad he did. Of all the schools she applied for, Stanford ended up being the only school that would accept her.

However, her boss’s theory would be put to the test. While Jacinto already had experience working away from her homeland, things were about to get tougher.

“I lived in Singapore for four years. Coming from a very close family of 5 children, being the only one abroad was tough. I was lucky though because work brought me back home very often, and if I did get homesick, Manila was just a short flight home,” she said. “Moving to the US was different. It didn’t allow me to have that closeness or easy access. It felt more permanent.”

From Singapore to Sriracha (in the Bay Area)

Despite longing for her family, Danica found a way to soldier on. She craved independence, and her years in Singapore led her to “a life of travel and adventure,” and taught her that things don’t always go one’s way.

“I remember one of the first weeks after moving here. All I wanted was Asian food. I was craving rice. But a lot of the food around here is either Mexican or American. I’ve definitely learned today to love Sriracha and my breakfast burritos, but that was tough,” she said.

Food was not her biggest adjustment, though. As they discussed various cases in classes filled with Ivy League graduates, Danica found herself biting her tongue, the once confident undergrad feeling intimidated. Fortunately, the school had communication coaches and workshops to help international students like her get the hang of the teaching style.

If there was any doubt Danica eventually overcame her newbie troubles, she quickly erased that when she ran and won the co-presidential post of the MBA Student Association.

“As a woman and an international student Danica provided a unique perspective that I lacked, and represented different groups of people that often aren’t given a voice at school,” said her running mate Mark Moeremans.

“Danica strikes the perfect balance between fun-loving and adventurous but also hard working,” he added. “She has so many friendships across different groups of people […] And when there is work to do, Danica will get down to business and will always get the job done,” he said.

Despite all her accolades, however, she feels this is not enough. Having embarked on an international study trip under Stanford, she learned a lot about global perspectives on government and business—and found that the Philippines has its own struggles to address.

“I recently attended a panel of start-up founders in the Philippines. You know what was most striking about this panel? None of them were Filipinos. Top caliber talent is just hard to come by in the Philippines, and we end up importing it instead,” she said.

While she believes in foreign talent, being one herself in the US, Danica sees local flavor as a means to boost the business scene in the county. As to how Filipinos could step up and take this responsibility, she responds with something she knows well by experience.

“At a time when the country is ready for a new wave of leaders, entrepreneurs, and industry pioneers, an MBA will poise Filipinos to be at the top of this wave,” she said.

While it would certainly be an adjustment, being a Filipino—a person of color—would not be an obstacle either, as Danica proves.

“While I thought I worked in a diverse environment in Singapore—the GSB was infinitely more diverse. We have all colors, shapes, sizes, sexualities. This was another adjustment for me, to have to learn social norms and uncover unconscious biases that I may have. Again, the school offers us many resources to help us build an inclusive community amidst diversity,” she said.

Danica’s experience may have not been an easy path, but as resilient as a Filipino can be, she worked through the adjustments and got her well-deserved degree.

Just like that, the Ivy League, a classic shoot-for-the-stars dream, may not be that many light years away. And if the country wants to shoot for the stars itself, it may need to learn a thing or two from people who have already made it possible—people like Danica Jacinto. (MRF-PIA-Central)