Scholars Sleep-Over at Albert Bunoan's residence

SAS Ai, Inc. scholars had a sleep-over hosted by none other than our Field Team Leader Mr Albert Bunoan and his family in their house in Barangay Dardarat. Mr Albert Bunoan planned this event for the following purpose(s):

1. To provide time for bonding among both groups of scholars (Freshmen and Sophomores).
2. To provide peer-assisted study. The brighter scholars help the slower ones with their subjects.
3. To provide for the scholars rest and relaxation from school activities.
4. To meet with the scholars in order to address any need that they may be experiencing but are too shy to bring up in the course of a school day.
5. To engage the scholars in conversation.

According to Albert the scholars had a most enjoyable time with each other. They were well fed and given ample time to relax, rest and chat. SAS Ai, Inc. is the only organization that sponsors such educational outings and off-campus activities to promote growth - social, emotional, and spiritual. For this reason, SAS Ai, Inc. is the standard against which all groups sponsoring students to attend St Augustine School are measured.

Results of the First Periodic Exams

SAS Ai, Inc. Scholars Meeting with the Field Team (front L-R) Aleli Mae and Albert Bunoan. (Top Row L-R) Michelle Pera, Cristina Javier, Ina Gabaldon, Karen Laurente, Mariella Tacho, Geraldine Layco, Melvie Legaspina, Kyle Zyra Lazo, Krisha Teodosio, Everlyn Jamandra, Maiah Dauz. (Middle Row L-R) Rose Ann Fajardo, Mirasol Literato, Jonel Leal, Randy Doctor Jr., Stephanie Taay, Rocel Ann Vinluan, Nesza Queen Camonas, Angelica Ang, and Arthien Lovell Pelingen. (Not in the picture - Karen Paola Makil who was in Vigan for the Journalism Workshop)

The results of the first periodic exams are as follows:

First Year (Freshmen Class)
Stephanie Taay.................89.59
Mariella Tacho..................89.00

Melvie Legaspina............86.95

Kyle Zyra Lazo.................86.92

Geraldine Layco..............86.73

Maiah Genelle Dauz........84.89

Everlyn Jamandra............84.76

Rocel Ann Vinluan............84.13

Krisha Teodosio...............83.89

Second Year (Sophomore Class)

Karen Paola Makil............90.70

Jonel Leal..........................89.00

Karen Laurente.................87.38

Mirasol Literato.................86.49

Maria Cristina Javier........85.70

Michelle Pera....................85.68

Rose Ann Fajardo............85.03

Ina Gabaldon.....................84.16

Randy Doctor Jr................82.65

Fourth Year (Senior Class)

Arthien Lovell Pelingen.....91.45

Nesza Queen Camonas...91.18

Angelica Ang......................87.16

Congratulations to all of our SAS Ai scholars for a job well done! We are very proud of their personal effort at excellence in their studies.

A Special Invitation to all Fellow Augustinians

The above photo of the Sister's Convent window should conjure up an avalanche of school memories for any graduate or alumnus/alumna of Saint Augustine's School. It certainly does it for me. I can see the flagpole as I move backwards towards the main road or today's gate, the green grass spread that covers the parade grounds albeit dug up here and there by the few stray pigs looking for buslig and barsangnga.

During my time at SAS this was open space. Where the town auditorium now stands was a kiosk that fronted a tennis court. There used to be a small concession stand operated by the late Tang Doming Agas and his family right there where the road bends to pass by the front gate of the church plaza. But all those familiar landmarks have given way to progress. The artesian well is gone and the Rizal Park now looks more streamlined.

Isn't it great that most, if not all of us who attended SAS can return home from wherever in the world we now live, work and perhaps even have retired in order to get together with friends, classmates and townmates and reminisce about the good old days when we were high schoolers - certainly kings and queens of the campus grounds?

And when we do return home and enjoy each other's company as we walk around the old campus, can we think of a better way to say thanks to our old Alma Mater than to make sure that St Augustine's School keeps on operating and offering the same high quality education we enjoyed to all young students who aspire for greatness?

And how about the bright and promising sixth graders who come from very poor families right here in our community of Tagudin, who have attended the public schools and SAS Elementary? Will they ever get to attend SAS high school on their own? I think not. But we can certainly help them. We who have walked through those same portals on our way to personal greatness and wealth can and must help them. It doesn't take much to give these underprivileged kids a hand. It takes less than $1.50 a day to sponsor a bright youngster attend SAS high school. We can spend more on a Happy Meal with Soda and French Fries in one fast food lunch excursion than we can to help send a bright scholarly student to SAS high school.

We are inviting you fellow Augustinians to join us here at SAS Ai, Inc. in pursuit of this mission by sponsoring a scholar. We can collectively pool our resources if we can't do it alone. Just imagine, some day, these same bright kids we are helping will also help others attend SAS high school. Indeed Education is Freedom. Freedom from ignorance. Freedom to pursue a bright future. Freedom from the shackles of abject poverty.

Won't you join us?

Why SAS Ai Leads the Field of Scholarship Program Providers

SAS Ai, Inc.'s official logo (top photo), with the medal shown (bottom photo) which is the Founder's Award for academic excellence. Guided by the maxim, "Education is Freedom," SAS Ai has earned the enviable reputation of being the gold standard of scholarship programs here at Saint Augustine's School (SAS).

Differentiating itself from other sponsored scholarship programs that only provide funds to students but with no designed follow-through for performance leaving the sponsored student to fend for himself or herself, SAS Ai employs a locally based Field Team headed by Mr Albert Bunoan, comprised of business professionals, entrepreneurs, parents of school aged children, and local towns folk, to actively manage the needs of our scholars, guide and coach them, and to oversee to their welfare throughout the school day.

The second point that differentiates SAS Ai from the others is the recruitment and processing of scholarship applicants, the execution of the entire comprehensive selection process culminating in the awarding of the scholarships to the final selectee awardees. It is quite an accomplishment for an applicant to be selected as a SAS Ai scholar.

The third point that lifts SAS Ai to the top is the flawless disbursement of finances, i.e., enrollment fees, all other matriculation and miscellaneous fees to the office of the SAS registrar. On the very day that SAS Ai scholars are registered or enrolled to attend SAS high school, all financial dues are paid by the SAS Ai Treasurer and all accounts are settled with SAS. At the same time all uniforms, shoes, socks, athletic gear, and other personal student needs are provided and issued to all scholars all throughout the day of outfitting. No other scholarship sponsor does this act of comprehensive care for their sponsored students. Only SAS Ai, Inc. does.

It is in recognition of these various and noteworthy business attributes that the local Tagudin town council and government publicly recognized SAS Ai at the 2010 Town Fiesta as the premier provider of quality scholarship programs to St Augustine School. Furthermore, SAS Ai. Inc. has clearly defined and delineated proven scholarship processes and practices which others ought to follow and emulate.

We value and cherish this well earned reputation of business excellence and the well deserved regard of high esteem.

Portrait of a SAS Ai Scholar

Kyle Zyra Lazo (left) and her mother, Mrs. Lene Lazo (right) are members of a typical family whose very limited source of income is based on farming cash crops and rice for their own sustenance. Kyle has three siblings, one of whom is a fourth grade student at the Tagudin Central Public School.

 

To Kyle, attending Saint Augustine's School was a childhood dream come true. Working hard throughout her elementary school years, she placed in the top three in her graduating class with a final grade point average of 90.4%. 

 

She was very active in the scholastic competitions offered throughout the year, representing her school in the Science Quiz Bee reaching the District Level of competition. She also actively participated in school athletics, earning a starting position in the varsity volleyball team. An avid reader of books, Kyle aspires to attend college and pursue an engineering career.

 

Kyle presented her case well during the initial interview processes, showing a most ardent desire to be selected as a SAS Ai scholar to attend St Augustine's School (SAS). Her parents were both very supportive of Kyle's desire to attend SAS as well. As part of her application form, Kyle distinguished herself by writing an excellent essay entitled what attending SAS means to her. Her essay along with the other completed requirements helped propel Kyle to the selection finals. 

 

Kyle Zyra Lazo was one of the 9 freshmen selected to be awarded a scholarship to SAS for school year 2011.

Who We Are

Saint Augustine School Alumni International (SAS Ai) is a non-profit corporation registered in the state of Florida. We are recognized by the IRS as a public charity 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations or gifts toward the SAS Ai Scholarship Fund are tax deductible.

Our mission is to help bright, promising and serious sixth graders who come from poor families get a good high school education at St Augustine School (SAS) by sponsoring them for the full four years of high school.

Each school year we recruit, process and qualify a total of 12 scholars. We comb the public schools in Tagudin, going as far north as Sagat in Santa Cruz, or as far south as Sudipen, La Union and Bangar, La Union to find these bright kids whose families are way too poor to send them to private school.

To date we have a total of 9 sophomores who began in 2010, 9 freshmen who began in 2011, 3 senior high school students who will be graduating this year, and 3 senior high school students who graduated in 2010.

We solicit scholarship funds from generous individuals, from SAS alumni, Batch groups, or major corporations. We are continually trying to raise scholarship funds and because we are a non-profit organization, funds are never kept in the books. Rather funds are disbursed to pay for tuition, books, school supplies, uniforms, shoes, socks, athletic gear, Internet access, USB storage units and other expenses.

None of us who work here at SAS Ai, Inc. get paid. We are all volunteers giving freely off of our own personal resources, time, effort, and talent toward the accomplishment of SAS Ai's mission.

We are very proud of our scholarship program, the management of it, and the representation of it  by our locally based eight-member Field Team headed by Mr Albert Bunoan. They are there present on campus to address any need our scholars may raise. Our scholarship program is the gold standard against which all scholarship programs are measured. SAS Ai is the purveyor of superior scholarship programs to SAS.

You can help us by sponsoring a scholar for the coming school year 2012. Again, as we have done over the past two years, we will recruit, process and qualify 12 scholars for 2012. The cost for one year per scholar is $525. You can also pay via a monthly $45 dollar allotment if that makes it easier on your budget using our very secure credit card (VISA, MC, DISC) acceptance application. You can use this link to go to the credit card acceptance application. Another way you can submit your gift is to write a check to SAS Ai Scholarship Fund and send it to our Treasurer:

Estrellita G. Purugganan
43096 Branower Street
Ashburn, Va.  20147



Thank you.