MENTORS FROM THE HEART
Louie Julian BY DEANA P. PAGTALUNAN Many alumni claim that the college experience in Ateneo is life-changing. Theology professor Louie Julian knows this firsthand. After all, he has spent over ten years at the Ateneo de Manila University—both as a student and a teacher. Julian first entered the school as an AB Philosophy student. After graduating in 2013, he pursued a master’s degree in Theological Studies at the Loyola School of Theology (LST). In 2015, he taught part-time at the Loyola Schools and became a full-time instructor under the Theology Department two years later. Today, he teaches Theology (TH) 151: The Catholic Commitment of Today’s Filipino: A Synthesis—a course for graduating students. College takeaways Julian’s passion for teaching took root when he was a student. In fact, he discovered his love for public speaking out of sheer luck. During his junior year, he applied to be a Talks-and-Tours (TNT) facilitator for the Ateneo Orientation Seminar on a whim, and the rest was history. “When I [became a TNT], I found that I really enjoyed [public speaking]. I joined more orgs that could help me do more of [that], then I wondered if I could do this for the long haul,” he says. At the same time, Julian knew that he wanted to deepen his understanding of his faith even after college. This was because of his upbringing in a Christian household and the profound impact faith had on his life. Thankfully, taking classes under several “legendary” professors provided him with a foundation for the understanding he craved—which would eventually influence his approach to theology and his teaching style.
For instance, Julian learned about structure from Adolfo Dacanay, SJ, and his organized lectures. On the other hand, Bobby Guevara taught him storytelling by presenting social realities and theological concepts hand-in-hand. Meanwhile, Fr. Daniel Sormani from the Congregation of the Holy Spirit imparted the relevance of student participation through inclusive discussions that even accommodated non-Christians. And when he entered the LST, there was Arnel Aquino, SJ, who showed the importance of sincerity when it came to his vulnerabilities. “What was common in all of them was that none of them gave me an easy time to learn those lessons,” Julian says. “In college, I was not really a great student. When I got exposed to mentors with high standards, that was what got me out of my shell.” The value of trust Being a theology teacher is no easy feat. Julian’s biggest challenge is ensuring that his lectures are relevant to his students, and he believes that becoming an effective teacher entails building trust with them. As such, Julian connects with his students inside and outside of the classroom. He calls them by their most casual nicknames, and they call him “Louie.” He isn’t afraid to admit when he doesn’t know the answers to questions in class. At his office, he accommodates any student who would want to talk, whether it be about academic or personal concerns. He also checks up on his students if he runs into them on campus or along Katipunan. Every year on his birthday, he even dedicates an entire session for his “Quarter Life Lecture”—a discussion about life lessons he picked up from his first few years after college.
In doing these, Julian presents himself as honestly as possible—both as a teacher and a human being with flaws. For him, this authenticity is crucial to being a theology teacher. “You can’t just be purely technical. There’s a part of you that has to ask yourself if you’re shaping their hearts in a positive way,” he adds. True enough, many of Julian’s students have resonated with his lessons. “Julian remained true to the promise of TH 151, synthesizing and challenging us to think about what theology personally meant in the greater scheme of things,” says Kayle Amurao (BS ME ‘19), who was Julian’s student in 2019. “My learnings from Louie’s lectures gave me the courage to face the questions that later shaped how I wanted to commit to living my life.” At the end of the day, Julian seeks to prepare his students for life after college. While there is undoubtedly much uncertainty down the road, he knows that a little hope can go a long way. “Things that don’t go your way are things you can’t change. What you can change is if you want to be hopeful or fall into despair,” Julian says. “Remain hopeful even when things don’t go your way.”
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