Wheaton graduate earns Fulbright to Philippines

Having grown up the son of immigrants who escaped the poverty of the Philippines, Ryan Letada '08 began plotting his way to Wall Street and financial security for himself and his family the moment he set foot on Wheaton's campus.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Wall Street. The would-be investment banker decided to follow his heart instead of the money—at least for now. Instead of diving into the world of mergers and acquisitions, he's on his way to the Philippines as a recent Fulbright Scholar to conduct research that could have an impact on homelessness there.

He will examine and document homelessness reduction methods used by citizen organizations in the Philippines, where the lack of affordable land and housing options for the poor force many people to live in slums and on the streets. Letada's research will address the roots of homelessness in Manila by exploring the political, economic and cultural context of the problem. "I seek to stimulate discussions and collaborations between NGOs and other members of the citizen sector in hopes of creating a more effective, systemic approach in combating and reducing homelessness."

The work goes straight to the Posse Scholar's passion for activism, which slowly bloomed during his years at Wheaton. "It became clear to me that number-crunching was not my passion," he noted in his Fulbright proposal. "My passion was in front of me all along; I wanted to make people and the world better as a result of my presence."

Letada, a Filipino-American from Bronx, N.Y., said his parents have always stressed the importance of achieving financial stability through hard work to avoid a lifetime of hardship and unhappiness. So the economics major focused on becoming an investment banker. He spent his summers at financial institutions; was president of the Wheaton Investment Association that he founded in 2005; and participated in a Harvard Business School summer management program. (He still plans to pursue an MBA.)

But the social justice side of his personality came through loud and clear. He joined Wheaton's Asian American Coalition; mentored minority students; and chaired the Inter-Cultural Executive Board, a branch of the student government that seeks to improve the cultural climate at Wheaton through inter-cultural learning.

"The more sociology and economic classes I took," said Letada, "the more I became aware of inequalities. In sociology classes came discussions on race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality. In economic classes, I critiqued economic development strategies that have led to unequal wealth distribution and deterioration of the quality of life. Behind the Wall Street facade was an activist that secretly hoped to be part Martin Luther King, Jr., part Muhammad Yunus [a Bangladeshi banker and economist]."

His professors note that the Fulbright research will make perfect use of all of Letada's strengths. "Ryan is a very intelligent and highly motivated person, who is concerned about the impact of economic policies on income inequality and broader measures of human development," said Associate Professor of Economics James Freeman. "His major in economics and minor in sociology enable him to analyze economic theories and policies from an inter-disciplinary perspective."

Letada already has experience trying to make a difference in the Philippines. This year, he and three other Wheaton students collected computers and raised more than $10,000 to established a computer clinic for rural schoolchildren in the Philippines, working in partnership with a grassroots organization. He also founded the Tsunami Relief Initiative on campus. For his activism, Letada received the Patricia King Leadership Award.

When he returns to the United States, Letada hopes to pursue work in social entrepreneurship and eventually get an MBA.