STAR Dream Girl: Carissa Mangubat

"I love the beach and luckily we have the best ones here in the Philippines," exclaims 21-year-old Carissa Mangubat when asked on her favorite destinations now that the mercury is rising. The turquoise blue waters of Palawan and Boracay are two world-class places to enjoy. "For a respite from the tropical heat, I suggest going on an Alaskan cruise. My family and I went on one two years ago," she shares.

Summer is a season for vacations, as well as a season to be with people special to you. That’s why for Carissa, a good company is a must-have in that much-anticipated summer getaway — whether it be a long road trip with the family or a weekend at the beach with friends. Also on her list is that good old trusty big bag "which carries all your essentials yet sturdy enough to stand all the abuse that traveling entails."

Summer is also about memories of many sorts. "My best summer experience was when my entire family all went to the States. My cousins and I had the best time visiting theme parks and going around the different cities," Carissa says. But more than the amazing places they’ve been to, what made the vacation more memorable was being with her cousins. "We really bonded so much. I believe it was the people I was with that made it special."

Carissa, an incoming senior at UP Diliman, believes that people are innately good. With a sunny disposition in life, this pretty lady tries to see the good in every person she meets. "Whenever I’m experiencing something really bad, I try to look at the bright side and see what good can possibly come out of that experience," says this optimist. Being the only daughter of practitioners in medicine — her father, Leonardo, is an ophthalmologist while her mom, Isabel (nee Ballesteros) is a dermatologist — pressure to follow the same career path was on her. "As much as they wanted me to follow in their footsteps, they did not want to stop me from pursuing my own dreams in life," explains Carissa, who took up Business Economics because she always wanted to pursue a career in banking and finance. "I know that medicine is a rigorous and demanding career and I did not think that I could survive 10 or more years of medical school." She admits science is not her thing but numbers are her forte.

She may have treaded on a completely different path from them, but Carissa lives by her parents’ sound pieces of advice. She was told to be content with what she has, though she needs to work hard to achieve something more. "They always tell me never to live beyond our means. They also remind me to pursue or do things that I really love to do because at the end of the day, it is my happiness that matters the most," adds Carissa, who plans to take further studies abroad after graduation. "It doesn’t matter what you do, it’s how you do it and that you do it to the best of your abilities." And with that, her feet will always stay firmly planted on the ground even if she becomes the next big thing in the banking industry. —Jerni May H. Camposano