FEU Alumna named Young CEO of the Year
Asia Leaders Awards recently named Architect Kaydee M. Velasco as Young CEO of the year. Kaydee, as her friends call her, is a BS Architecture 2011 graduate. She is the owner and CEO of KMV Asia Development Corporation which does Property Development, Urban Planning, and Architecture Consulting Services.
Architect Velasco is an advocate of sustainable development and one of less than 200 BERDE-certified architects in the country. BERDE measures how a building performs above and beyond existing national and local building and environmental laws, regulations, and mandatory standards and is recognized as the Philippines’ National Voluntary Green Building Rating system.
Architect Kaydee who was elected as the Vice President of FEU Alumni Foundation, Inc. for the year 2019-2020 shared with us how the university helped her in her profession.
- What is your most memorable place or event in FEU? And what makes it memorable?
My memorable place is the Technology Building and the campus grounds near the church. It’s open and serene and even if there are a lot of activities going on, there is always space for me to breathe. It is so cozy to the point that you can meet anybody there. I always feel very secure and safe, and peaceful.
I always pass by the chapel. There’s a vibe in that chapel. I love it there. I prayed in the chapel before I took the board exam.
- Success: How do you measure it?
Success is when you open your mind and listen to people around you before you do something abruptly. When you learn from your environment or the people surrounding you. I normally create a 5-year plan or a 10-year plan so that I can measure if I'm heading in the right direction. Without concrete targets, you can easily be influenced by the people and situations that may take you away from the path that you want. So, that is success for me - learning, getting your targets, and being able to stick to your chosen path.
- Failing or Failure: were you afraid of failing? How do you deal with it?
I’m allergic to failure. Hahaha. I actually don’t like the idea of failing. I don’t believe that failure is always bad or something that you should be afraid of. Failure is learning. But you have to do whatever is necessary to avoid failure. When you're clear with your target, even if you failed along the way, you just have to pause, do your analysis, and bounce back. So probably, failure is like a maze which will trap you only when you stop.
- How did FEU help you to become the person you are today?
Being in FEU was a challenge for me initially. Hahahaha. I came from Bicol and was a transferee from Ateneo de Naga. The environment in FEU is different. Life is so busy and always rushed. I was so used to the prim and proper culture of my family. We’re very traditional. So when I went to FEU, my classmates were, “Wooow.” Just crazy in a way that there were different groups. I had to adjust to survive. That is one thing that FEU taught me which contributed a lot to my growth. Another thing is the culture in FEU is more open and friendly. You can be more flexible. They’re not going to focus on what you have, they’re going to focus on what you can be.
- What do you think is your most important/significant contribution to FEU/ to Society?
I love my alma mater. FEU accepted me with open arms. The university even credited all the units that I took from my former school. FEU will always be part of my success and future goals. I will never, never say ‘no’ to FEU that’s why you are here. I will try and continuously share my knowledge with my FEU Tamaraw family.
- Bravery: What does it mean to be brave to you?
Bravery for me is a choice. I always remember my dad. He used to tell me, “Kay, you don’t need to close your eyes if you have injections in the hospitals.” You can feel the pain but it will be gone soon. That explains my attitude of me being a risk taker.`
- What advice would you give your fellow Tamaraws?
Try to be flexible in terms of what you can learn, what you can achieve, how you can help each other, and how we all can help the society through FEU.
Sources: Manila Times, Philippine Green Building Council Website