Ask anyone who’s worked with Mariane “Marg” Glorioso-Dela Cruz and they’ll mention the same thing — the way she quietly builds trust. Over time, her leadership efforts have made a lasting impact on the meaningful student engagement experiences and opportunities for support at SAIT. 

Mariane “Marg” Glorioso-Dela Cruz (Business Administration – Marketing ’25) has been awarded the 2025 President’s Medal for her exceptional commitment to volunteerism, leadership and community-building at SAIT.  

Arriving from the Philippines in late 2023 as an international student, Glorioso-Dela Cruz quickly became an active part of campus life. Before arriving in Canada, she organized a group chat for the Winter 2024 Filipino student cohort — an initiative that became a support system and remains a source of connection to this day. 

When Glorioso-Dela Cruz arrived at SAIT, she immersed herself in the community almost immediately. She was drawn to volunteer work that helped other students feel welcome and supported. Over the past couple of years, she’s guided new learners as a Peer Mentor and LEADS Student Leader; built networks through the Global Engagement Opportunity program, Enactus SAIT and SAITSA; and advocated for mental health and wellness as an Outreach Wellness Leader with Student Development and Counselling — the department where she now works full time.   

Even in the midst of her heavy workload, Glorioso-Dela Cruz couldn’t help but notice something was missing. “As a volunteer, I happen to see a lot of different student clubs,” she explains. “I started wondering ‘Why don't we have something for our community?’ There are so many Filipinos here in Canada and at SAIT. We’re all in the same boat… I know their struggles, I know the challenges, and I know the uncertainties that go with our experience here in a foreign land.” 

Dela Cruz says she wanted to help create a community where everyone could feel supported, find strength in one another, and celebrate their shared culture.

Bringing people together comes naturally to Glorioso-Dela Cruz. Once she decided to start a club, she began talking about her idea with other SAIT students, volunteers, and faculty — and soon found like-minded co-founders who shared her vision. Together, they built a welcoming community  and Kabayan at SAIT was born.  

“We wanted to show our cultural side, the brilliant traditions and culture of the Philippines, but it's really more of creating a community to provide support,” says Glorioso-Dela Cruz. “At the same time, we also wanted to extend our help to the entire SAIT community.” 

The club launched the Kapihan General Assembly and Tambayan sessions, both offering opportunities for Filipino students to meet and learn from each other. We invited resource speakers not only to equip our members with the skills and knowledge needed to become employment-ready, but also to inspire them, broaden their perspectives, and empower them to thrive in a holistic way."

To extend support to the entire SAIT Community, they launched Bayanihan — a trade and networking event open to all SAIT students, faculty, alumni and local businesses. “We have the Kapihan for our Filipino members,” says Glorioso-Dela Cruz. “We have Bayanihan for the entire SAIT community. We also wanted to extend support to the other students who needed it.”  

Kabayan now has more than 180 members, and its continued growth remains a source of joy for Glorioso-Dela Cruz. “I get messages from students telling me that they’ve taken steps to do things because they saw the work I did as a volunteer,” she says. “When I saw Kabayan’s first activity after I graduated, I felt so accomplished. Even without me, they’re continuing the spark we started, and they're taking it even further."

Beyond her volunteer commitments, Glorioso-Dela Cruz also balances life as a wife and a mother, works part-time in marketing and occasionally offers homebaked cakes (when time allows). She says giving her time to others reminds her to slow down and stay grounded. 

“Every volunteer opportunity I get is a chance for me to give back,” she says. “When you volunteer, you see others and become more grateful for what you have.” 

When you’re juggling this kind of workload, it’s easy to get frustrated when everything doesn’t go as planned. But Glorioso-Dela Cruz’s sensible approach to mental health serves her well. “Wellness doesn’t mean you have to have a perfect life,” she says. “It’s embracing the beautiful chaos in life. Don’t strive to be perfect, because life is not perfect.” 

Despite her many contributions, Glorioso-Dela Cruz was surprised to learn she’d been chosen for the President’s Medal, which celebrates significant contributions to campus life, industry leadership and academic excellence.  

“My journey hasn’t been flawless,” she says. “I faced setbacks and challenges, but this award shows that being at SAIT goes beyond academics. It’s how you put yourself out there, how you build relationships, how you show compassion — all while continuing to grow both personally and professionally.”