Alumni Update: Chester C. Coronel

CHESTER C. CORONEL Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, 2009

It has been a decade since I graduated from UA&P. I was part of the pioneer batch of the BSIT on Science Stream program. At that time, it meant that I got to take my specialization courses at the start of my freshman year vis-à-vis having to take them on my junior year as the program is designed today.

My time at the University has truly been memorable, and I have my blockmates-turned-friends to thank for as they have been a big part of it. Being the pioneer batch, we got assigned to the same classes for most of the time we spent in the University. Thus, we were able to really bond together and form good friendships that still stand today.

Technology has always been my passion and has led me to work at one of the world’s most successful companies, Microsoft. The company’s mission is to “empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” and this is something that I get to do every day as a Customer Success Manager. In this role, I get to work with our enterprise customers in the Philippines to help them adopt our modern communication and collaboration tools, excite them with what is possible with our technology, and with them build use cases using our technology to transform, drive efficiency, and address their business challenges. The possibilities with technology are endless—no crystal ball can foretell what problem it gets to solve next. Personally, I think that meaningful impact in this arena calls for three things: First, you must know the technology and keep up with it. Second, you must be endowed with the soft skills and with the ability to present and communicate this complex technology concepts clearly and persuasively to your stakeholders. Finally, you must always act with integrity.

My university education, which is grounded on the liberal arts, has helped me see things beyond the lens of technology considering human and social factors as part of the bigger picture. UA&P education has also prepared me to continually acquire specialized knowledge and to communicate it with clarity, precision, and persuasion. I am grateful to have had this kind of education during my university days.

Fellow Dragons, sooner or later you will chart your own path beyond the walls of our beloved university. As you begin your own exciting careers, it is important not only to embrace feedback but also to ask for it even from people who may be critical of you. Feedback is like a fuel to your rocket ship; use it to improve yourself and propel you to where you want to be. Do not hesitate to speak out and communicate your ideas as you land your first job and sit through your first set of meetings. More often than not, you may have some fresh ideas for ventures that they have not done before.