text: Mary Jane Alvero-Al Mahdi was born in Makati, Philippines on April 29, 1970. She was born to Renato Alvero and Martha Alvero, along with four other children. Her father supported the family as a successful businessman, until he began to develop emphysema. Her father could no longer maintain the business and stayed confined to a bed, leaving her mother to take care of the children and at the same time worked hard to keep the family financially stable. Alvero-Al Mahdi took part and helped her mother by working part time jobs, and at the same time, studied chemical engineering at Adamson University. She graduated, and received her B.S. in chemical engineering in 1991. After graduating, she took the Chemical Engineer Licensure Exam and passed. She worked under a company in Manila before she accepted the job offer in Dubai.