Pensionados at Notre Dame

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Discover Notre Dame’s first Asian pioneers through a 120-year retrospective of the 1903 Pensionado Program. Uncover how early Filipino students forged a path of global excellence and a unique place within this foundational heritage. View the University of Notre Dame’s history through a vibrant, transpacific lens in this conversation with chair of the Asian Pacific Alumni Board Jeremy Dela Cruz ’15, ’19 MSF, recent alumna Sophia Labrador ’25, and associate professor in Notre Dame’s Department of History Rebecca McKenna.

120 Years Later: Asian and Pacific Islander Perspectives at Notre Dame is a commemorative series celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Asian Pacific Alumni group and the long history of this community at the University of Notre Dame. The Asian Pacific Alumni of Notre Dame (APA) is a dynamic and welcoming community that brings together alumni, students, and friends to celebrate Asian Pacific cultures and experiences through alumni programming, student outreach, and lifelong connections.

Join fellow Asian Pacific Alumni for Reunion 2026 from June 4-7 to reconnect with classmates, explore campus, and celebrate 120 years of Asian and Pacific Islander excellence at Notre Dame!

José Eduardo Valdes y Diaz '06

José Eduardo Valdes y Diaz ’06 of Manila, Philippines, holds a distinctive place in University history as Notre Dame’s first Asian graduate. He enrolled in 1904 as one of the earliest “Pensionado” students—Filipino scholars sponsored by the U.S. government (then governing the Philippines as a colony) to pursue higher education in the United States. In 1906, Valdes earned his Bachelor of Laws from Notre Dame Law School, becoming not only the University’s first Asian graduate but also the first Pensionado to graduate in the United States. He went on to a career in public service in both the U.S. and the Philippines, including service in the cabinet of Benito Legarda, the first Resident Commissioner of the Philippines.

Valdes’s promise and character were widely recognized during his time at Notre Dame. Writing in June 1906 to Felipe Calderon in Manila, Fr. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., the 14th president of the University, praised the Filipino students at Notre Dame for their “studious habits and their gentlemanly behavior,” adding that Valdes in particular was someone from whom he expected “great service to the Filipino people on his return home.” Cavanaugh also expressed his broader sympathy for Filipino aspirations for independence, reflecting the political context in which Valdes was educated.

In a February 1907 letter, Cavanaugh further described Valdes as “a young man of remarkable maturity for his years,” whose “talent and his character are both exceptionally good,” and expressed hope that he would render “important service to [his] country.” These observations underscore both Valdes’s individual distinction and the larger expectations placed upon members of the Pensionado program.

In 2025, the Asian Pacific Alumni of Notre Dame launched the José Eduardo Valdes Impact Award (“Valdes Impact Award” or “VIA”) to honor this legacy. The award celebrates members of the Notre Dame family who forge new paths and uplift the Asian and Pacific Islander communities through academic excellence and cultural enrichment. Like Valdes, whose journey helped establish a foundation for future generations, Valdes Impact Award honorees embody a trailblazing spirit—championing diversity, advancing representation, and leaving a lasting legacy for future Domers.

For more information on the José Eduardo Valdes Impact Award, please visit the Asian Pacific Alumni website.

Meet the Speaker: Jeremy Dela Cruz ’15, ’19 MSF

Jeremy Dela Cruz ’15, ’19 MSF serves as the Chair of the Asian Pacific Alumni of Notre Dame and represents APA on the Notre Dame Alumni Association Board. As a proud Double Domer, he majored in French and philosophy and earned a master’s in finance. Jeremy leads the global marketing compliance program at NinjaTrader and across its affiliated companies supporting a portfolio of digital asset and traditional finance products and services.

During his time under the Golden Dome, Jeremy participated on the undergraduate Diversity Council, received research grants from the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, and created Admissions content as a New Media Intern for the Enrollment Division. He represented Notre Dame as one of 30 Fulbright grant recipients from the University during the 2016–2017 program and taught English in Andorra.

Prior to NinjaTrader, Jeremy’s compliance career path—spotlighted by IrishCompass—has included pit stops in proprietary trading, consumer banking, and investment management. Beyond financial services, he also worked as a business analyst focused on aerospace projects at a British engineering firm.

Jeremy lives with his husband, Tyler, in Chicago, where they enjoy planning trips to international destinations, heading to South Bend for Notre Dame games, and checking out the Windy City restaurant scene.

Meet the Speaker: Sophia Labrador '25

Sophia Labrador ’25 is a recent Notre Dame alum who majored in Computer Science and graduated with minors in Engineering Corporate Practice and Asian Studies. On campus, Sophia lived in McGlinn Hall and worked as a campus tour guide for the Notre Dame Alumni Association. As a proud member of FASO (Filipino-American Student Organization), Sophia’s Filipino heritage encouraged her to research the evolving Filipino American presence on campus, which she documented in her Asian Studies capstone. Today, Sophia lives in Chicago and works as a technical consultant at Pariveda. While she’s not visiting Notre Dame, you’ll find her trying new restaurants around the city, at farmers markets, or going on walks by the lakefront.

Meet the Faculty: Rebecca Tinio McKenna

Rebecca Tinio McKenna is an associate professor in the Department of History at the University of Notre Dame. Her research centers on modern American social and cultural history, and she is especially interested in the history of U.S. imperialism, political economy, and the intersections of capitalism and culture. Her first book, American Imperial Pastoral: The Architecture of US Colonialism in the Philippines (Chicago, 2017) was awarded the Myrna F. Bernath Book Prize by The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. She is currently at work on a history of the piano, a project supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. She teaches undergraduate courses on the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Interwar U.S.A., U.S. social and cultural history, and the United States in the World along with graduate courses on 20th c. U.S. History and comparative empires.