Winning Inside and Outside the Classroom
People, in general, would expect a decorated Olympian who broke records to rest on her laurels. However, Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo is anything but ordinary. Even with the 2018 Asian Games and 2022 Tokyo Olympics gold medals under her belt, Hidilyn has announced her plans to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris after accepting her fourth PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Athlete of the Year Award.
After her Rio Olympics stint, Br. Dennis Magbanua FSC, then Brother President De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, discussed with Hidilyn the opportunity to continue her college education. She took the challenge of being a student-athlete as seriously as she did training. “Ang daming na-contribute ng Benilde sa future ko. Dati, puro lang nasa isip ko, atleta ako, yung lang ang direksyon na gusto kung tahakin, maging atleta” (Benilde contributed a lot to my future. Before, my only focus was on being an athlete, and that was the only direction I can see my life taking).
This college degree is years in the making, “I’m happy and excited na sa wakas for six years na nag-aaral ako sa Benilde, 32-years-old na ako and napatunayan ko na kahit nag-stop ako pwede palang bumalik ulit. Pwede pa ulit mag-aral at eto ngayon natapos ko” (I’m happy and excited that finally, after studying in Benilde for six years, at 32 years old I’m able to prove that even if I stopped, I can still go back. It’s possible to study again, and now, I’m finally done).
As Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Business Management graduate, she thinks differently, “…Ngayon, nakikita ko yung future ko as a sports leader, as a (businessperson) na marunong sa accounting, sa management, sa mga laws. Ang dami kong natutunan. Mas naging-wide ang perspective ko nung-nag-aral ako sa Benilde” (But now, I can see my future as a sports leader, a business person well-versed in accounting, management, and laws. I learned so much. I have have a wider perspective when I studied in Benilde).
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
