In most Filipino households, education is perceived as the most valuable inheritance passed down from one generation to the next. It serves as a great social equalizer and a beacon of opportunity especially for parents who strive to pave the path to a brighter future for their children. For the Nicolas family, bearing witness to the transformative education at Mapúa University, this has steered them to choose the country’s leading engineering and technological school as the home of their dreams and aspirations in life.

It all began when patriarch Capt. Enrico Pilares Nicolas, a highly accomplished and decorated former Philippine Air Force and commercial pilot—currently a CAE Korea flight simulator instructor and checker—decided to heed his parents’ counsel to pursue engineering in Mapúa. 

He enrolled in the School of Civil Engineering as part of Batch 1968, then shifted to Electrical Engineering and successfully acquired an undergraduate degree in 1974. Amidst the academic demands and professional commitments, Capt. Nicolas embraced the challenge and persevered forward, driven by the belief that Mapúa’s commitment to industry leading education would build a foundation of invaluable successes for him and his children.

“Studying in Mapúa helped improve my personal life as it taught me how to persevere in life. I met many students from different statures in life and learned how to be more cooperative while working with others. With the experience I had in Mapúa, I decided to send all my children to my Alma Mater,” said Capt. Nicolas. 

Years later, his daughter Michelle Anne Nicolas-Uy followed in his footsteps and pursued the Electronics and Electrical Engineering (ECE) course in 1996. Influenced by her father, she opted to take ECE since it was the most sought-after program at the time and would allow her to learn the diverse field of engineering. 

Although she felt challenged as a female engineering student navigating in a male-dominated industry, this fueled her passion for excellence to eventually join the ranks of the few female engineers in the Philippines. Emulating his father’s unwavering dedication, Michelle reaped an outstanding academic performance in Mapúa that built her competence and confidence to brave the engineering landscape. 

“When you are a graduate of Mapúa, they know that you graduated from the top engineering school in the Philippines, also considering all the affiliations our school has now, like ABET. If you want to be the best engineer, study at Mapúa, this is the country’s premier engineering school after all,” said Michelle.

In 2001, she finished her studies, affirming the indispensable contribution of Mapúa’s program in building her character development and specialization. She credited the institution for pioneering globally renowned engineering education in the country alongside professors who willingly shared their wealth of knowledge.

Enrico Miguel Nicolas-Uy rounds up the third and youngest generation of Mapúans in the Nicolas family. A Grade 12 student and member of the Mapúa Lawn Tennis Varsity Team in Mapúa Senior High School, Enrico admits facing initial difficulties in his studies, but through the guidance of his professors, he mastered the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt.

“I want to thank my professors and teachers for their time with me in Mapúa, for guiding and teaching lessons that I needed to acquire and to learn. Even though I had a bit of a rocky journey in my academics, I still had fun learning each and every lesson with them. I really want to thank them for giving me the best memories here at Mapúa University,” said Enrico.

Throughout his stay at Mapúa Senior High School, Enrico valued the in-depth lectures delivered by the institution. He noted that the school is ideal for individuals with a penchant for mathematics or aspiring to pursue careers in engineering and architecture.  

“I want to encourage them to study here at Mapúa since this is one of the best technological schools in the country. Even though some people tell them that it is very hard and that they had a few bumps during their study in Mapúa, I just want them to get one of the best educations in Engineering and Architecture,” Enrico added. 

With nearly a century of providing internationally acclaimed education, Mapúa’s culture of academic excellence, transformative innovation, and global competitiveness have significantly transformed the lives of its students and alumni. The success stories of Capt. Nicolas, Michelle Nicolas-Uy and Enrico Nicolas-Uy are a living testament of the institution’s enduring legacy as the home of future builders of the world.

For more information on Mapúa’s programs, visit https://bit.ly/AskMapua.