The GUIDON Graduation Magazine 2021 by The GUIDON

2021 Graduation Magazine

THE GUIDON SENIOR EDITORS 2020-2021

EXECUTIVE EDITORS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Editor-in-Chief: Danielle Margaux R. Garcia (BS CTM ‘21) Associate Editor: Tatiana L. Maligro (AB COM ‘22) Managing Editor: Bryce R. Rubi (BS ME ‘21) Design Executive Editor: Carmela B. Masiglat (BFA ID ‘22)

Julia Carpio (BFA ID ‘21) Jerry Feng (AB COM ‘21) Jamie Go (BS CTM ‘21) Zoey Ignacio (BS LfSci ‘21) Bruce Ong (BS MGT ‘21) Jan Ong (BS ME ‘21) Jaf Tumale (AB COM ‘21)

SECTION EDITORS Milestones Editor: Leika Golez (AB COM ‘21) Tributes Editor: Leika Golez (AB COM ‘21) Leaders and Advocates Editor: Ally S. Crespo (AB DipIR ‘21) Artists & Performers Editor: Gerrick C. Limsiy (BS ME ‘21) Geniuses Editor: Gerrick C. Limsiy (BS ME ‘21) Athletes Editor: Ally S. Crespo (AB DipIR ‘21) Narratives Editor: Raphael C. Dela Cruz (AB LIT (Eng) ‘21) Mentors Editor: Raphael C. Dela Cruz (AB LIT (Eng) ‘21) Staff and Administration Editor: Bryce R. Rubi (BS ME ‘21)

PHOTOS EDITOR

LAYOUT DESIGNER Jason T. Mariano (BS ITE ‘21)

ILLUSTRATORS Andy Granda (BFA ID ‘21) - Section Covers Mikhaella Norlin Magat (AB SOS ‘21) - Stickers Prezil A. Ong (BS ITE ‘21) - Stickers and Tribute Cameron Polintan (BS PSY ‘21) - Cover Design

Raya Barreiro (AB DS ‘21)

SPECIAL THANKS TO

GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITORS

MILESTONES

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS

MENTORS

Bea Katrina Sison (BS MIS ‘21) Davin Sean Cuaso (BS MIS ‘21)

Zach Garcia

Universal Records

Tala Wong

Jim Dasal

Arlo Gregorio

Jason Haw

Trina Camacho

Ich Santos

Jayeel Cornelio

WRITERS

Kelly Veneracion

Mark Anastacio

IS Department

Paulina Singh

Tin Libres

Norman Tanchingco

Margaux Arcinas (BS PSY ‘21) Dani Capinding (AB COM ‘21) Ally S. Crespo (AB DipIR ‘21) Selina A. de Dios (BS MGT ‘21) Daniel Del Rio (BS CS ‘21) Raphael C. Dela Cruz (AB LIT (Eng) ‘21) Emerson Enriquez (AB COM ‘21) Danielle R. Garcia (BS CTM ‘21) James B. Gavina (AB EC ‘21) Micah Avry Guiao (BFA CW ‘21) Jacob A. Juinio (BS MIS ‘21) Isaiah Limpin (AB COM ‘21) Gerrick C. Limsiy (BS ME ‘21) Russell Louis Ku (BS CTM ‘21) Shawn Nagrampa (BS LM ‘21) Marina Peneyra (BS CTM ‘21) Julia V. Quizon (AB COM ‘21) Patricia Gabrielle Ramos (BS MIS ‘21) Bryce R. Rubi (BS ME ‘21) Patricia Villoria (AB COM ‘21) Caitlin Anne Young (BS MH ‘21) Matthew G. Yuching (AB COM ‘21)

Bettina Cuan

Tommy Escay

Gabriel J. Medina

JJ Agcaoili

STAFF & ADMINISTRATORS

Mark Anastacio

Deon Sih

Melissa M. Reyes

Zoe Andin

Jason Mariano Casey Mateo

Tess Carlos ATHLETES

Edith Bagtas

Kelly Veneracion

Monette Valdes

TRIBUTES

Ateneo Rowing Team

Ruby Mandafe

Ateneo LEX

Aga Olympia

Cristy Esteban

Marianne Goh

Paulina Singh

Ghing Lopez

Eon de Villa

Paolo Yaptinchay

Roxanne Cuacoy

Miguel Villareal

Allan Devera NARRATIVES

Office of Student Activities

LEADERS AND ADVOCATES

Aaron Brian Chua

Hilda K. Abola

Trisha Reyes

Kobe Diaz

Jim Dasal

Erica Go

Miles Ramos

VPLS

Coco Ledesma

Thurees Obenza

Tanging Yaman Foundation

Caleb Rosco Batalla

Chloe Athena A. Ong

Ateneo DReaM Team

Reyneal Vargas

Ateneo Gabay

Miko Galvez

Bettina Cuan

Alexandra Amorado

Atlas Studios

Jason Lombos

Miriam Delos Santos

GENIUSES Mikaela Magpayo

MESSAGE FROM THE

Marty Santos

EDITOR

Louise Dimalanta

Marco Millan

Nana Ozaeta Cisco Ortega Anja Abrogar

Message from the editor TODAY, OUR batch goes down in history as the first graduating class that spent an entire senior year in quarantine—a far cry from what we all had hoped for. Gone were the days where we could easily greet our good friends with tight hugs, catch up over warm cups of coffee, and laugh the stressful nights away. Instead, the Canvas login page graced our screens day in and day out. For many of us, one word was enough to encapsulate our final year in college: Yearning. We longed intensely for the normalcy—or even just a semblance of it—that slipped away from our fingers. Most, if not all Ateneans thought: Without this normalcy, what would it mean to have survived the grueling, humbling, and rewarding years of the Ateneo experience? And so the battlefield that greeted us next was to fight our fear of forgetting. We listened to our friends recall their “last good day” on campus, just so these little pieces of Atenean life as we know it wouldn’t fade into memory so quickly. Some of us set up Discord servers, sent each other countless Teleparty links, and filled our device folders with hundreds of Zoom call screenshots. If anything, our graduating class was never wired to confront individual and collective grief of this magnitude, much less cope with its haunting effects on our lives. It’s easy to lose heart or spiral into angst knowing that one foot remains planted in the world we once knew, and the other steps shakily into yet another unknown future. But if there is one thing that this fateful year in quarantine taught us, it’s that the world we once knew was anything but normal—and we can no longer return to it. In the “normal world,” we witnessed our country’s chief executive lead a brutal antidrug war and refuse accountability for the thousands of lives it took away. Across the globe, millions of families were plunged deeper into poverty while renowned billionaires relished in booming fortunes. Various communities, including those close to home, lacked access to affordable healthcare and mental health support. Such realities offer only a glimpse into the fractures within the systems, institutions, and cultures that make up this normal world we’ve come to know. But as our journey with Ateneo comes to an end, we are reminded that there is more to our senior year experience than grief and loss. Now, more than ever, we hold the power to reimagine and restructure the world anew. Our first instinct stepping into the real world may be to feel small or intimidated by the complexity of the issues that surround us. But in these trying times, I hope you believe in the voice that you have and wield it to initiate discourse, challenge ideas, and create safer spaces for our fellow countrymen. Day by day, we can sow little seeds of love, understanding, and care in the spaces that need them most—and trust that they may one day blossom into gardens of hope. It is with great joy that I share with you this year’s Graduation Magazine. This issue chronicles Batch 2021’s individual and collective efforts to be men and women for others in our own little ways. In times of uncertainty, may this serve as a reminder that whether we become lawyers, scientists, engineers, marketers, or creatives by profession, it is never too late to live the Ignatian values of magis and cura personalis by heart—and even inspire others to do the same. All it takes is to do what we can to bring our own little gardens to life.

DANIELLE R. GARCIA Editor-in-Chief of The GUIDON 2020-2021 The descent from the proverbial Hill will be far from easy, for we will stumble and fall several times making our way towards level ground. As we pick ourselves back up each time, I hope that we look around us to check whether others have fallen—so that they may regain their footing, too. With this, I extend my best wishes to all of you and your future endeavors. I’m certain that by the time our paths cross again, we will have stories to share of the gardens we’ve cared for and the lives we’ve touched along the way. Congratulations and see you soon, Batch 2021!

Table of Contents MILESTONES 6-7 The fight for pride 8-9 Standing up to impunity 10 Stumbling blocks 11 Cutting edges TRIBUTES Alexandra Cuizon 12-13

ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS 40 JJ Agcaoili 41 Timmy Albert 42 Macy Escay 43 Raffy Mendiola 44 Mikaela Regis 45 Tamia Reodica 46 Alex Sih 47 Rafa Villon

LEADERS AND ADVOCATES

NARRATIVES

16 17 18 19 20 21

50 51 52 53 54 55

Jerard Afable Cristina Batalla Maia Boncan Sophia Bello Icely Recato Dy Trisha Reyes

Jacob Amorado Jubert Calamba Aaron Brian Chua Kendrick Diaz Jason Lombos Jorel Ong

GENIUSES

MENTORS

24 25 26 27 28 29

58 59 60 61 62 63

Anja Abrogar Louise Dilamanta Mikaela Magpayo Cisco Ortega Gabby Ozaeta Marty Santos

ATHLETES 32 33 34 35 36 37

AJ Arcilla Aki Cariño Chloe Daos Chanelle Lunod William Navarro Mireille Qua

Dr. Nikki Carsi Cruz Dr. Jayeel Cornelio, PhD Jason Haw Norman Tanchingco Aaron Vicencio Tala Wong

STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION 66 67 68-69 70-71 72-73

Ateneo DReAM Team Leland Dela Cruz Department and Program Secretaries Maria Luz Vilches, PhD Roberto C. Yap, SJ

MILESTONES

The fight for Pride BY PATRICIA VILLORIA THE LOYOLA SCHOOLS (LS) as we know it today is generally open and accepting towards all gender identities and expressions, but this environment did not spring out of nowhere. The journey behind the cultivation of this culture is one laced with struggles and meaningful dialogue throughout the years. Spaces to speak The first recorded effort concerning the representation of the LGBTQ+ community to engage in talks on LGBTQ+ representation was in 2012, when the AY 2012-2013 Sanggunian School of Social Sciences Chairperson Toni Potenciano proposed to facilitate discourse with the LGBTQ+ community. At the time, Potenciano said there were notions that Ateneo Dollhouse was the only representative group for LGBTQ+ members in the LS. With this, she explained that there are personalities beyond what

Dollhouse represents—hence, opening the space for a more diverse representation would ideally prevent stereotypes and prejudices. Two years later, Rica Salomon (AB IS ‘15) filed a petition to allow transgender students appear in the gender they identified within the 2015 yearbook. While this was not the first complaint about transgender representation in the yearbook, it was the most prominent as the AEGIS Administration Board yielded to their request. In 2017, the Office of Student Services (OSS) conducted focus group discussions with transgender students regarding the use of their preferred restrooms on campus. It resulted in the creation of allgender restrooms in various buildings across the campus, which revealed the LS administration’s willingness to accommodate the concerns of the transgender community. Nevertheless, Ateneo Dollhouse incumbent Queen Mother Raffy Mendiola sees that education about gender issues must go hand in hand with the creation of all-gender spaces in Ateneo. He has witnessed his transgender women friends being denied the female restroom and directed to the all-gender restroom because they “didn’t look like women.” Embracing change With this, the LS administration and the Sanggunian have taken steps to enact policies that help educate and change mistaken notions about the LGBTQ+ community. In 2017, the administration created the Gender Focal Committee to audit the University curriculum, research, employee training workshops, and outreach efforts in line with gender sensitivity and gender-responsiveness. At the same time, officers of the Ateneo Dollhouse, the Sanggunian, and the Office of Student Activities

One Big Pride

MILESTONES

discussed plans for an “official LGBT sector” that would be the formal representative group for their community. The following year, OSS also discussed the need for gender-fair language in the Ateneo Integrated Student Information System, while the Sanggunian launched the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE). The CGE was able to integrate gender-sensitivity talks during Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Traditions classes, as well as collaborate with the Ateneo Residence Halls for more gender-sensitive University Dormitory application forms. These efforts were continued in this year’s online set-up through a Canvas platform name change initiative and an LS Gender Hub- and CGE-led campaign on the importance of using preferred names and pronouns. Mendiola says that changes like these truly matter. “Even the little things, being called she or he…it helps them with their gender dysphoria because in a way they are able to pass as how they identify [themselves],” he said. CGE was also responsible for One Big Pride, the first University-wide pride march in the Ateneo. While it was met with positive comments from the general LS community, it was condemned by the Catholic organization Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life (CFCFFL). AY 2018-2019 CGE Vice-commissioner Polly Baterna previously said that it is “not within the nature of [the CGE’s] advocacy to keep quiet,” which is why they stood their ground and responded against the criticism. They emphasized that hosting the event is in line with the Ignatian value of cura personalis or “care for the entire person.” While things are relatively quiet for the LGBTQ+ community in the Ateneo this year, incumbent CGE Commissioner Andrei Narciso explains that the CGE is in a “monitoring phase” to identify key issues within the LS community and prepare for these problems moving forward. Safe space discussions, a Discord server for LGBTQ+ members, a gender crash course with Sanggunian members, and improved relations with the Ateneo’s Gender Hub and Gender Development Office are few of the many things in the pipeline.

MILESTONES

Standing up to impunity BY RUSSELL LOUIS KU

MANY HAVE associated the Ateneo community with elitism and detachment from the broader political, economic, and social conditions of the Philippines. However, as Batch 2021 entered the gates of the University, calls for greater socio-political involvement grew louder due to the Duterte administration’s neglect in disaster response and encouragement of bloodshed. No longer willing to stomach the violent and oppressive acts by state forces, Ateneans have taken to the streets to defend their democracy and demand accountability from the government. Taking to the streets In AY 2017-2018, Ateneans marched to the streets to condemn the death of 17-year-old student Kian delos Santos in the hands of the Philippine National Police near his house in Caloocan City. A University alumni demonstration held on August 24, 2017 faced police intimidation as an unlicensed black car stayed by Gate 2.5 even after protesters vacated the area. Despite this, Atenean activists remained steadfast in their calls for justice as they held another protest the next day with heightened security presence.

Fight

MILESTONES

Dissent under threat With the government’s heightened campaign against alleged communist forces, student activists have become vulnerable to red-tagging and repression by state forces. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has continually accused 18 Metro Manila-based colleges including Ateneo de Manila University of plotting a plan to oust Duterte and being “recruitment havens” for communists. Although the Ateneo has issued multiple statements refuting these claims, members of progressive groups such as Kabataan Partylist Katipunan are being labelled as “threats to security” as they continue to face harassment within the University. The termination of the University of the Philippines-Department of National Defense accord in January also bolstered progovernment forces to undermine academic freedom such as their plans to scrap a similar deal with the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. In addition, activists were vulnerable to having their online privacy compromised. Ateneo students and alumni were struck with fake and empty social media accounts after students from University of the Philippines Cebu were arrested during a rally against the Anti-Terrorism Law. Beyond external threats, Ateneans were also divisive on the mass student strike due to “vague” objectives and use of strong language in demanding government accountability. In light of this, the Sanggunian proposed the Student Activism Bill and the Sanggunian BluePrint for Socio-Political Engagement to bolster active political discourse.

Ateneans’ calls to uphold human rights even spilled into the basketball courts. During a University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) halftime show on September 13, 2017, Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion members protested against the decision of the House of Representatives to give the Commission on Human Rights a Php 1,000 budget for 2018. Aside from this, students showed mass indignation against the silencing of government critics, particularly during the ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through a quo warranto petition. The Sanggunian joined other student councils and political parties in a joint rally on May 11, 2018 near Gate 2.5, along with 1,500 Filipinos, including Senator Kiko Pangilingan and former Senator Bam Aquino.

Aside from this, the administration also disassociated itself from strikers’ on-campus mobilizations, which was later met with backlash from the Ateneo student body and alumni. As Batch 2021 goes down from the hill, the University is challenged to speak louder and act more boldly in protecting democratic institutions and promoting a faith that does justice in the months and years to come.

The Confederation of Publications of the Ateneo and progressive groups also took to the streets following the arrest of Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa on cyber libel charges. These sustained efforts culminated in around 500 Loyola Schools students signing a petition in November 2020 to declare a nationwide academic strike against the government’s “criminal negligence.” The move to withhold academic requirements received massive media attention and dismissive remarks from government officials such as President Rodrigo Duterte and his spokesperson Harry Roque.

MILESTONES

Stumbling blocks BY PATRICIA VILLORIA AT THE root of the Sanggunian’s pursuit to become more relevant to the student body is its shift to a sectoral approach to governance. This leadership style, although cemented in the Constitution of the Undergraduate Students of the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools (LS) only in 2016, was a product of the Sanggunian’s long struggle to remain visible in students’ daily lives. Issues in engagement From the late 2000s until the mid-2010s, student engagement was a sore spot for the Sanggunian. The yearly elections were marked by tensions between political ideologies and multiple election controversies that overshadowed their primary function to serve the interests of the student body. As the Sanggunian struggled to encourage political participation in the campus, questions regarding the student government’s significance emerged as the majority of students were already represented by their respective organizations. In addition, there were LS offices that could attend to school concerns and activities.

This resulted in multiple electoral failures that left vacant seats in the Sanggunian from 2012 to 2014.

The electoral quota was also removed to better guarantee the election of officers as well.

Despite the devastating turn of events, the administration still saw value in the Sanggunian. While most students did not vote, there were still a few who committed themselves to exercising this democracy.

In light of this triumph, the Sanggunian officers were hopeful for “a more inclusive student government.”

Budding talks Amid the Sanggunian’s failed attempts to prove their relevance were budding efforts to understand and represent their constituents at the grassroots level. In 2012, the Sanggunian opened a space for discourse with Ateneo’s LGBTQ+ community. The goal then was to give LGBTQ+ groups outside of the Ateneo Dollhouse a platform to represent themselves. A House of Representatives was also established in 2013 to direct the Sanggunian Central Assembly in policy-making decisions and issue-based statements. However, the only representatives eligible were elected block and course representatives as well as Sanggunian officers.

There were also recurring conversations about “student apathy.” To the general population, it was difficult to be engaged with the Sanggunian because the latter failed to inspire and make visible the unique services it could offer them.

In 2015, the Sanggunian assessed its structure and electoral process through a Constitutional Convention. This came at the trail of the second failure of elections that left the Top 4 spots vacant—namely, the president, vice president, secretary general, and finance officer positions.

The symptoms of this issue first reared its head in 2009, with the general elections requiring the election quota of at least 50% +1 of the student voting population. What followed suit was a downtrend of participation in the Sanggunian elections.

Most notably, 2016 saw the ratification of the Revised Constitution Of The Undergraduates of the Loyola Schools. It was a landmark change for student participation because sectoral representatives were finally institutionalized in the Sanggunian.

The Constitution in motion The years following the Constitution’s revision were crucial to the Sanggunian’s incorporation of sectoral governance in response to the student body’s needs. Incumbent Sanggunian President Jb Bejarin said that there were no previous frameworks or documents to guide their decisions, thus it was “a journey to find what works, what doesn’t, and getting the most gains from the process.” In 2017, their first step in implementing the newlyrevised Constitution was to integrate the sectors to the Sanggunian through various hearings with the student groups. Muslim students, scholars, women, and LGBTQ+ sectors were the first groups to join these consultations. By 2019, the scholars, League of Independent Organizations (LIONS), and sports clubs sectors organized the first sectoral plebiscite, which resulted in their inclusion in the first semester budget process of AY 2019-2020. Now that all these foundations have been laid down, Bejarin says that the Sanggunian must refine internal systems to better accommodate the concerns of the sectors and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While systems are not perfect yet, Bejarin says that they are continually working towards fully realizing the vision of sectoral governance.

Innovation

MILESTONES

Cutting edges BY RUSSELL LOUIS KU

GUIDED BY the premise of training and forming persons-for-others, the Ateneo de Manila University has long been seen as a beacon of education in the country. Whether it be in the humanities, social sciences, business, or science and engineering, the University has fostered interdisciplinary learning and diverse avenues for student formation.

Such plans have forced drastic changes as Batch 2021 became the last LS students to learn under the 1998 core curriculum. A revised version was enacted starting AY 2018-2019 due to the reforms brought by the Department of Education’s K-12 program and the Commission on Higher Education’s General Education curriculum.

Moreover, as students continue to look for educational programs that will give them a competitive advantage, the Ateneo has been rolling out educational innovations to better fit the needs of 21st century education.

Aside from this, the University opened its doors to students with interests outside of its current undergraduate programs. The opening of the Le Cordon Bleu Ateneo de Manila Institute (LCBAI) on April 5, 2019 helped intersect the Ateneo’s business education expertise with the culinary arts through its Bachelor of Science in Restaurant Entrepreneurship degree. LCBAI offered as well their signature nine-month Diplome de Cuisine program, which teaches aspiring Filipino chefs comprehensive culinary skills.

Setting the foundation To distinguish the Ateneo as a leading Jesuit education institution, former University President Jose Ramon T. Villarin, SJ introduced the Ateneo de Manila Development Goals 2030 (AMDG 2030) in a 2018 speech to Loyola Schools (LS) faculty members. Villarin said that the ever-changing demands of the modern world presents an opportunity for the institution to reevaluate its own identity. With this, AMDG 2030 aims to strategize the institution’s long-term development through five goals, such as enhancing strategic markers of Jesuit education and increasing access to Atenean education.

The University also prioritized forming innovative Filipino teachers through the establishment of the Ateneo Science and Art of Learning and Teaching (SALT) Institute. Established in October 2017, Ateneo SALT has been instrumental in preparing educators for 21st century education through promoting teaching workshops and educational research about studentcentered learning experiences.

Unexpected shifts As the COVID-19 pandemic forced the indefinite suspension of on-site classes, Batch 2021 pioneered in transitioning to a fully online learning set-up with the launch of the AteneoBlueCloud (ABC) in May 2020. The ABC aims to serve as the University’s virtual campus with the use of Learning Management Systems to deliver lessons and class materials to students online. The University also introduced the Adaptive Design for Learning (ADL) as a framework to refine the design and delivery of online course materials. Ateneo SALT has since brought the ADL to educators outside Ateneo through training sessions with teachers from the Philippine Science High School System and the Private Education Assistance Committee. However, the transition to online learning was not smooth-sailing for LS students as internet connectivity issues and heavy academic workloads persisted throughout AY 2020-2021. Consequently, the University administration enacted initiatives to receive feedback from the LS community, such as the Loyola Schools Online Learning Community Facebook group and the Sanggunian surveys. They also provided portable learning packets to students with internet connection concerns. Despite these stumbling blocks, the University remained steadfast in continuing the Ateneo brand of education by establishing the School of Education and Learning Design that is set to open in August 2021. The LS administration also plans to reduce the capacity in dorms and classrooms to ensure the LS community’s safety once on-site classes resume. In the meantime, Batch 2021 graduates from their laptop screens, while the Ateneo continues to redefine the learning landscape by providing external and internal opportunities that propagate educational reform in the country.

TRIBUTES

TRIBUTE

Alexandra Cuizon A TRIBUTE BY MIGUEL VILLAREAL (4 BS LM), MARIANNE GOH (4 AB POS), AND EON DE VILLA (4 BS LM) In line with her second death anniversary on October 2, this piece is a tribute to Alexandra Cuizon. She continues to be in the thoughts and prayers of the Loyola Schools’ Batch 2021. Miguel It was really Alex’s smile that captivated everyone. She had the biggest and brightest smile among anyone I knew. We only knew each other for two amazing years, yet it felt like I knew her my whole life. Unfortunately, no amount of words would be enough to depict how great of a person she truly is. We first met in freshman year when I was having a hard time in math class. She offered to help me—a complete stranger at the time—despite her busy schedule. Eventually, what started out as study sessions became late night heart-to-heart talks and overnight video calls. We got closer and spent breaks studying by the Ateneo Lex tables. During longer breaks, we’d go to UP Town Center to eat and we wouldn’t leave until we went to Timezone, her favorite place. However, it wasn’t her endless endless libres and generosity that drew me closer to her. It could’ve been her charming smile that captivated everyone, but it was undoubtedly her unconditional love towards her friends. Whether I was having family, relationship, or academic problems, she’d always be there to walk me through my hardships. I still recall a time when she went back to campus for me even though she was already on her way home. It was when I realized how far she’s willing to go just to help others. If there’s one thing you need to know about Alex beyond her amazing smile, it’s that she’s a woman who loves unconditionally. It is an honor and a blessing on my part to be called her best friend, and to call her mine. Eon Alex was the first friend I made in Ateneo. Our first memories together are so vivid; I can play them in my head as if they happened yesterday. We were seated beside each other at the freshman Orientation Seminar. I still remember the awkward smiles we gave each other until a friend of mine asked to take a photo of us. That finally broke the ice. Alex was well-loved by everyone, even by those who barely knew her. Thanks to her fun-loving personality and bright smile, people naturally gravitated to her, myself included. She helped me break out of my shell, and it was easy to open up when she was around—to

the point that I enjoyed the company of her family and high school friends. We had so much planned, like diving trips, joint birthday parties, and being groupmates for each class until senior year. It was evident to us that we would become lifelong friends. So, I wasn’t in a rush to express how much I loved her because I thought I had the rest of our lives to do so. Alex, you lived the fullest life in the least amount of time. Despite only knowing you for two years, you impacted my life greatly in the choices that I make. Thanks for an amazing friendship, for always being there for me, and for keeping me grounded. I promise to always keep your memory alive with every McDonald’s order I get, every yellow car I see, and every diving trip I plan. I’ll save you a seat for graduation so we can sit beside each other. I promise to honor our plans together by living them out. You’ll always be the first friend I made in Ateneo; no one will ever take that away from us. There’s so much more I want to say, but I’ll keep that between us. I miss and love you so much. Until we meet again, my friend. Marianne Alex wasn’t one to dwell on bad encounters and experiences, and that’s why she never held grudges against anyone. She’d live and let go. This translated to how she helped friends deal with experiences, hardships, thoughts, and emotions. She always had an open mind and a pair of ears to maintain a light and comfortable aura. Although it wasn’t the best and fairest deal, she offered comedic and sensible advice in exchange for rants and stories of frustration. For her, food and company were the best medicine, and I’ve come to believe the same. She’d always claim to crave fast food, but these never actually landed in her hands at the end of the day. The food would always be for the friend, the sibling, or the one who’s not okay—even if at times, she was all three and needed it most. I believe many were touched by her selflessness, be it from an acquaintance or as a close friend, and I admired this trait the most about her. To say I’m blessed enough to have met such a person in my life is an understatement because losing someone like her makes the world a little worse. But it also makes it a little better because we’re constantly reminded of how kindness makes a big difference. This goes to Alex, who deserves all the comfort food there is, and whose heart and soul will always be remembered for its goodness.

For Alex

Jerard Afable Championing a lifelong cause

Sophia Bello Pursuit for perspectives

Cristina Batalla Creating spaces

20 Icely Recato Dy Storytelling in service

Maia Boncan From the ground up

Trisha Reyes Leading with purpose

LEADERS & ADVOCATES CHAMPIONING A LIFELONG CAUSE

Jerard Afable BY ALLY S. CRESPO

When we graduate from Ateneo, the only key takeaway is that you have to listen.

AT SUNRISE, Jerard Afable (4 AB POS) rolls out of bed to make his morning coffee as the roosters begin to crow. In order to get a head start on his lengthy to-do list, Jerard has disciplined himself to wake up early and greet his constituents. Throughout his four years in the University, Jerard utilized a holistic perspective to create the Sports Clubs Sector and establish year-long partnerships with Lights for Hope’s partner communities. Apart from these, Jerard will be leaving the University’s hallowed halls as a graduate with Honorable Mention and the Political Science Department’s Program Awardee.

Grassroots Prior to becoming the leader he is today, Jerard was a freshman excited to dip his feet into the ocean of opportunities that the University’s organizations provide. He wasted no time and dived in head first by signing up for seven organizations. However, it was the Sanggunian that tugged on his heartstrings since he felt that working for the student government was the best way for him to prepare for a career in public service. Upon joining the Sanggunian as a Socio-political Deputy under the Advocacy Office of the Department for External Affairs (DEA), Jerard admits that he did not accomplish much in his first year with the department. However, Jerard’s sense of purpose was renewed when the Advocacy Office was renamed the Socio-political Office. “Hindi ko nakuha yung gusto ko na (I did not get to experience what I wanted to) experience noong (in) first year so [I said], ‘Let’s try it again, maybe this time will be better,’” he shares. True enough, Jerard’s second year in the department provided him with more opportunities to network

with various organizations in an attempt to make Ateneans more politically involved. During his junior and senior years, he was appointed DEA Chairperson. Although Jerard felt distanced from projects as a cabinet member, he remained resolute in solidifying the department as a support unit to other offices amid the online shift. “[The] experience that I wanted to have noong (back in) freshie year multiplied by...10,000 times when I became a senior. And now, we’re handling so many units and so many networks and so many offices, but it is really fulfilling,” he adds. Elevating discourse Apart from Jerard’s commitment to the DEA, he has made use of his time in the Sanggunian to represent the needs of sports organizations after experiencing their plight firsthand. Having been a flag football player since high school, Jerard joined the Ateneo Blue Raiders Flag Football Team when he entered the University. Despite carrying Ateneo’s name in competition, he noticed that the team had to shoulder their own expenses including operational fees. After probing into the reasons behind the lack of funding, Jerard learned that sports organizations like the Blue Raiders do not receive the privilege of financial backing from the University. Refusing to accept this reality, he felt that the Sanggunian would be a good avenue to voice his concerns regarding the experiences of sports organizations. Upon receiving advice from former Sanggunian President Hya Bendaña to seek sectoralization and formal representation, Jerard began working with the leaders of various sports clubs. In 2019, his hope for a Sports Clubs sector was realized following the sectoral referendum

that gave Sports Clubs a seat in the Sanggunian’s Central Assembly and the opportunity to lobby for an equipment rental budget. Along with Jerard’s mission to seek representation for the sports organizations, he advocates for nation building through Lights for Hope (LFH)—a project under the Office of the Vice President for Social Development that aims to empower the youth of its partner communities. During his term, LFH established a year-long partnership for the first time with two elementary schools, Concepcion Integrated School and Marikina Science High School, after having been a one-day project for 19 years. “Hindi sapat ang isang araw para maempower yung (One day is not enough to empower the) communities so we brainstormed,” he reveals. A light for hope With both the Sanggunian and LFH in a period of transition to the online setting, Jerard shares that he is doing his best to empower his constituents as his time in the University comes to a close. “When I am gone, the problems will still be there and we need to equip and invest in human potential…[the organization] needs you to create more leaders and that is the frame of mind I had…until I will graduate,” he says. Looking back on his time in college, Jerard has transformed himself from being a doe-eyed freshman to a senior who has sparked innovative change in his various commitments to the Sanggunian and Lights for Hope.

LEADERS & ADVOCATES CREATING SPACES

Cristina Batalla BY RUSSELL LOUIS KU

I found the power of community and belonging in the spirit of independent organizations.

FOR MANY Ateneans, organizational involvement includes meeting new friends and constantly attending meetings between classes. However, many students underestimate the power their work brings in resonating change within the University and beyond its confines. Determined to seize the potential of organizations, Cristina Batalla (4 AB DS) tapped her passion in organizational development as a platform to usher empowered students in nation-building and participatory governance. Apart from graduating cum laude and as a Development Studies Program Awardee, her passion for inclusive and empathetic leadership has also led her to win the 2021 Loyola Schools Award for Most Outstanding Individual during Paghahandog 2021 last June 14. “The only way we can rally students to care is if we understand that our voices matter—if we know that we have the right and power to place not just problems but our solutions, on the table,” Tina says in her award-winning essay. Building connections It all began with Tina’s belief in youth empowerment through her involvement with Children’s Museum Library Incorporated, a foundation that promotes welfare and development among Filipino youth. Later on, facilitators from the Ateneo Consultants for Organization Development and Empowerment (CODE) conducted a leadership training seminar for student leaders in Tina’s high school, which inspired her to join the organization. Having learned the basics of organizational development, Tina’s leadership skills took root as she set foot in the Ateneo. “I learned good ways to ask effective questions... I also learned how to...be more effective as a leader,” she explains. Using her experiences in CODE, she hoped to bolster

unaccredited organizations’ presence in the Ateneo community as she was elected the League of Independent Organizations (LIONS) Coordinator in July 2019. However, Tina felt that she failed in her first term due to manpower constraints in the coordinating body and a lack of dedication in prioritizing her work for LIONS at that time. Apart from this, Tina felt that she had impostor syndrome as she learned the inner workings of the position. “Why am I leading [LIONS] when in the first place I wasn’t even part of an unaccredited [organization]... I was questioning my motivations [and] what’s in it for me,” Tina shares. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed Tina to maximize her second term in 2020 by organizing a transition committee that sought to reevaluate its values. This led to revisions in their constitution and heightened member recruitment. “I found the power of community and belonging in the spirit of independent [organizations] and I hope really that this will bolster more energy among the youth like us to organize and to pursue the things that we are passionate about,” she says.

that monitors local government units’ (LGU) response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Within GoodGovPH, Tina initiated Usap Tayo, which consisted of open forums meant to educate the youth on various issues such as labor and public health. Aside from this, she helped craft the Boses ng Masa Citizen Perception Reports, which reflected citizens’ sentiments regarding their LGUs’ pandemic response. Tina’s work in Bantay Bayan was instrumental in leading GoodGovPH to win several awards such as the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations for 2020. “GoodGovPH [reminds] me of the importance of not just remaining in our private spaces but…to be conscious of our roles as citizens and our rights...to public life,” she says. Advancing leadership With Tina clinging on to hope in democratic institutions, she emphasizes the need for participatory and empathetic leadership—a necessary ingredient in policies that reflect the needs of various communities. “We continue to see inequality on the rise... simply because we are not prioritizing the needs of the people in our communities,” she explains.

Championing good governance Beyond student organizations, Tina’s passion for organizational development deepened once more through her experiences with external organizations. “I definitely saw... how [external organizations] encourage the youth to use…[their] voices in order to do something about the problems we’re seeing all over the country,” she shares.

Like many Ateneans, Tina has gone through imposter syndrome amid her shortcomings and failures. Despite this, her passion for transparent and inclusive governance persists in the hope to spark Filipino youth and engage them in public matters—especially Ateneans who are often perceived as detached from socio-political issues.

Curious about how these organizations work, Tina joined GoodGovPH, a youth-led organization that promotes good governance through civic engagement and policy advocacy. Having worked in Bantay Bayan, she took part in mobilizing a legal assistance program

With Tina set to go down from the proverbial hill, she hopes to serve in the public sector and contribute to the development of local government units and young organizations where citizens can thrive and create lasting impact.

LEADERS & ADVOCATES FROM THE GROUND UP

Maia Boncan BY MICAH AVRY GUIAO

Do what you can. If everyone does what they can, they can make a dent.

WHEN SHE was young, Maia Boncan (4 AB DS) was not allowed to watch cartoons, so she grew up watching National Geographic documentaries instead. Having been exposed to shows about the environment as a child, she is now an advocate for climate action who promises to create a sustainable world—one reusable bag and beach clean-up at a time. One with the earth Even as a child, Maia was already conscious of climate change, often reprimanding her grade school peers for littering on the ground. At 10 years old, she signed a petition when she moved to Baguio City at the height of the environmental protests against SM Supermalls, who planned to uproot more than 100 trees in Luneta Hill. However, her love for nature truly blossomed when she began to frequent beaches to snorkel. “I was amazed at how beautiful marine life is,” Maia shares. “Nature gives me that kind of serenity that nothing else can give.” Excited to experience the beauty of the ocean once again, Maia found herself back on the shores of Boracay in 2019 expecting to see the same wonders. Unfortunately, she was faced with a harsh view: Coral reefs that used to be vibrant in color were now grated and bleached. Aside from her personal encounters with environmental degradation, Maia’s passion for her advocacies is closely tied to her identity. At 16 years old, she learned that her great-grandmother is a descendant of an indigenous lineage called Ga’dang in Nueva Vizcaya. With this knowledge, she sought to

take up a minor in cultural heritage to prepare her for a career that may bring her to indigenous work. Being blood-tied to a native group did not just make Maia feel more Filipino, it also instilled in her a greater sense of responsibility towards the environment. This shift in perspective came from the Ga’dang custom that places much of its cultural significance on nature—a belief Maia believes everyone should possess. “[This] made me value the earth more because I know the indigenous people really value nature and the resources it gives… That’s also one of the things that fuelled my advocacy,” she remarks. Outspoken in her own right Fervent for more knowledge about her advocacies, she recently attended two climate conferences, namely Asia Pacific Leaders and Climate Reality Leaders. In these sessions, she learned that climate action is more than meets the eye—pointing to water consumption, fast fashion, and plastic use as part of the everyday practices that negatively impact the earth. “It’s not just about the environment. It’s a lifestyle,” she says, and debunks a misconception of what it means to live sustainably. “You don’t have to be a vegan to say you’re an environmentalist. You just have to be more conscious about what you eat.” In her own capacity, Maia has already managed to tap into her spheres of influence. Since cutting down on meat consumption is one way to help the environment, she decided to regularly cook for her family, serving them vegetables as viands. This minor act is one of the

many ways she integrates a more sustainable lifestyle in her home without her family even noticing. “If they’re going to buy something, mas conscious na sila [of what they purchase]. I became the voice at the back of their heads,” Maia shares. Despite her efforts to help the environment by eating more consciously, climate action is a difficult road for Maia to traverse—given that the results of her efforts are not immediately seen or felt. Fortunately for her, interning for the World Wildlife Fund helped her see the tangible impacts of consistent activism as she archived annual reports. “It’s those changes that you don’t really see that made a long-lasting impression on me,” she notes. Since then, she has learned to trust in the process that what she does eventually compounds over time. In all her pursuits, Maia continues to be an outspoken activist to set an example for those who choose to create a better world. Her story is an inspiring reminder for everyone to take that small step—to spark a ripple wave of climate action through one’s personal choices. “Activism is about the consistency of your actions, how it aligns with your lifestyle,” Maia says with a determined but hopeful look on her face. “You don’t need to do everything. Do what you can. If everyone does what they can, they can make a dent.”

LEADERS & ADVOCATES PURSUIT FOR PERSPECTIVES

Sophia Bello BY JULIA V. QUIZON

We need to start making strides in making ourselves heard and also being part of difficult conversations.

SOPHIA “BELLS” Bello (4 BS MGT, Minor in Development Management) always believed that an ordinary young individual, including herself, has the potential to accomplish extraordinary achievements. Graduating with Honorable Mention, the former AIESEC in AdMU President strongly advocated for youth leadership throughout her term andt empowered her members to spark change in their respective departments and beyond. Shifting perspectives When she entered the University in her freshman year, Bells initially joined AIESEC to participate in the cross-cultural exchange program. During the 2018 School of Management Week (SOM) Week, she was chosen to represent the organization as Ms. AIESEC for the Mr. and Ms. SOM event. In order to fulfill her pageantry duties, Bells had to learn the ins and outs of AIESEC in preparation for the question and answer segment of the event. At the beginning of her training for Mr. and Ms. SOM, Bells’ knowledge of AIESEC’s vision was limited. However, after learning more about AIESEC’s mission to create leaders among the youth, Bells was heartened to impart the advocacy on her peers. Upon noticing how AIESEC was perceived as a platform solely for cultural exchange, Bells felt the need to shift people’s perspectives in regard to the organization’s true objective: Youth empowerment. “Sticking to [the organization’s] why—[youth leadership]—that’s really what’s going to keep you golden,” shares Bells. Inspired by her experience in SOM Week, Bells became more active in AIESEC by involving herself in the public

relations department from 2018 to 2020. In February 2020, Bells was elected as the Local Committee President (LCP) and strived to create an environment where her members were filled with contagious passion to lead. Under Bells’ leadership, AIESEC in AdMU’s exchange approvals increased by 150% and she began to witness the fruits of her labor—until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Despite the quarantine restrictions set by the pandemic, Bells continued to instill her vision by collaborating with her constituents for fresh ideas online. Eventually, Bells and her members were able to successfully launch an innovation case competition entitled Blueprint. Besides this, last January, Bells and her team created the National Youth Leaders’ Initiative, a capacity-building and project pitching event for youth organizations nationwide. Through the creation of various innovative projects, Bells and AIESEC in AdMU’s hard work were given the national awards in Marketing, Finance and Legalities, Talent Management, and Partner Value Delivery by AIESEC in the Philippines. Greater impact Although her LCP term ended in January, Bells continued to serve AIESEC as a National Organizational Development Coach. In her new role, she mentors other Local Committee Presidents on how to lead well, learn more, and love what they are doing. Apart from developing a deeper understanding of youth leadership, she also credits the organization for helping her branch out and develop her skills and advocacies beyond her organization. “[Participating in AIESEC nationally] has given me a different lens as to what young people can do,” Bells explains.

Wanting to build on the leadership skills she obtained from AIESEC, Bells took two internships from June to August 2020 to broaden her perspectives. One internship took place under the office of Senator Kiko Pangilinan, and the other under MakeSense—an organization that empowers citizens to solve social and environmental problems. Having been exposed to issues such as voter’s education through these internships, Bells hopes that she and the Filipino youth can address these issues by engaging in advocacies important to them and to the country.“[What matters is] finding what you care about, sticking to it, [and] seeing it through,” says Bells. Going beyond With every opportunity that comes her way, Bells continues to cultivate her passion for youth leadership and share it with the Filipino youth. “My vision is that the [Filipino youth] feel empowered to be part of the solution,” Bells shares. Upon graduating from college, Bells hopes to seek employment where she will be able to advance her advocacies. Apart from starting work, she also plans on taking higher studies in development to hone her leadership skills. Even amid the turmoil brought by the pandemic, Bells is determined to empower those around her with the skills and knowledge she has. In her pursuit of new perspectives to further develop her leadership, Bells has become a powerhouse—a woman who sees her vision through before moving on to what is next.

LEADERS & ADVOCATES STORYTELLING IN SERVICE

Icely Recato Dy BY MARINA PENEYRA

I hope to continue telling stories about these advocacies, so people can see the bigger picture and, like me, become passionate about these advocacies.

KNOWN FOR her lively and outgoing personality, Icely Recato Dy (4 AB IS) never runs out of stories to share wherever she goes. As a leader in the Interdisciplinary Studies Association, Lights for Hope, and Project KaBUHAYan, Icely integrates her love for storytelling in her service by bringing the narratives of the sectors she advocates for to light.

for public health literacy, Icely recalled how they motivated her to pursue leadership opportunities in service-oriented organizations. “I was influenced by the passion people had for the work. If I didn’t join Project LAAN, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to step into leadership opportunities and be the advocate that I am now,” she says.

First chapter Before becoming the leader and advocate she is today, Icely discovered her affinity for service by volunteering as a CAT officer in high school. Through monitoring and mobilizing students, Icely realized the value of her work when teachers, administrators, and school staff would share that her work made their jobs easier. Because of this, she started entertaining the idea of working in more service-oriented roles where she could continue to be of help to others.

Character development With her rekindled love for advocacy work, she became driven to participate in service-oriented projects such as Lights for Hope, a University-wide event that provided avenues for her to engage with children from marginalized communities. As the Community Relations Deputy, she actively worked with public school teachers to ease the event’s transition to an online setup. She served as the bridge between the sector and the Ateneo community to understand the situations of the teachers more and cater better to their needs.

Although her stint in high school made her feel strongly about volunteering in service-oriented roles, it was only in her sophomore year of college that she put her inclination to service into action. Like other college students, Icely spent her earlier years in college adjusting to the new environment by involving herself in organizations and projects like Ateneo Lex, Celadon, and Ateneo Global Climate Change Week. These equipped her with the hard and soft skills she utilized in her leadership positions later on. While these organizations have their own specific advocacies in business laws and ethics, Chinese-Filipino culture, and environmentalism, Icely was driven to actively seek service-oriented work during her involvement with Project LAAN in her sophomore year. Inspired by Project LAAN’s members who advocate

In an effort to further her involvement in advocacy work, Icely made the bold decision in her junior year to shift from Legal Management to Interdisciplinary Studies. After finding a home in her new program, Icely was able to study various social issues when she was appointed Director for Advocacy Research and Development in the pilot year of her home organization, the Interdisciplinary Studies Association. In this position, she led her team in dissecting and raising awareness on social issues through a multidisciplinary perspective. Out of her many commitments, Icely holds her two-year presidency in Project KaBUHAYan closest to her heart, as it advocates for micro, small, and medium

enterprises (MSME). Throughout Icely’s term, Project KaBUHAYan grew tremendously in its projects, members, and engagements with partner communities, even in the time of the pandemic. In the past two years, she focused on raising MSME awareness in the Ateneo community through sharing the stories of the nanays, as well as creating more engagements with partner communities. During Icely’s time with Project KaBUHAYan, one particular nanay left a lasting impression on her after she expressed her immense gratitude for the organization during an outreach. From this conversation, Icely was able to see how helping the nanays build their businesses eventually led to the community’s financial growth. “I see these people doing their best to provide for their families, and I want to give them more opportunities to do so with the opportunities and privileges that I have,” she says. Stories live on At the heart of Icely’s service are the communities that inspire her to continue advocating for transformational change in the people’s lives. With graduation, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellowship Program, and the next chapter of her story just on the horizon, Icely hopes to live a life that allows her to offer solutions to these marginalized sectors and continue sharing their narratives to others. “I hope to continue telling stories about these advocacies, so people can see the bigger picture and, like me, become passionate about these advocacies,” she shares.

LEADERS & ADVOCATES LEADING WITH PURPOSE

Trisha Reyes BY DANIELLE R. GARCIA

Service starts with listening and immersing yourself with the people that you want to serve.

SURROUNDED BY a bustling Recruitment Week, Trisha Reyes (4 BS PSY) set foot in the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership Roofdeck with wide eyes—ready to breathe life into ideas and ignite change. A self-proclaimed “org-hungry” freshman, Trisha joined seven student organizations to expand her worldview. Eventually, these roads narrowed to two major calls: Lead the Ateneo Consultants for Organization Development (CODE) as one of the Super Seven (S7) and pioneer the first-ever online Orientation Seminar (OrSem). With the Ateneo CODE Training, Research, and Development Head for AY 2020-2021 and OrSem 2020 Chairperson (O-Chair) titles under her belt, Trisha places passion at the forefront of humble service. Building blocks It all began in St. Paul College Pasig (SPCP), where Trisha encountered student leadership as early as sixth grade. She fondly recalls witnessing high school culinary arts, visual arts, and communication arts students build a cafe for a project. Amazed at the students’ ability to collaborate, Trisha eventually found her calling to serve. When the communication arts president at the time tapped her to do a presentation, Trisha overcame feeling lost and confused through the encouragement and guidance she received along the way. “That opened my eyes to the possibilities of what you can do when you’re a student leader… [It] set the tone for what I would do for the rest of my high school journey,” says the 2021 Program Awardee for Psychology and magna cum laude graduate.

Upon reaching her final year of high school, Trisha became the communication arts president—a feat she refers to as a “full circle kind of moment.” This heartened Trisha to spearhead more projects, such as bringing the TEDxYouth program to SPCP. “[I wanted] to bring ideas together...and be able to create some kind of transformation or change with those ideas,” Trisha stresses. Fueled by grit Trisha’s thirst for transformation was further cemented through Ateneo OrSem: Likha. She recounts that in the final mob, wonder surpassed the heat and exhaustion that came with mingling in the crowds. This thrust Trisha into volunteering for Logistics Core in her sophomore and junior years— where she found family. “It really affirmed for me the joy I get from being behind the scenes and… [running] things,” she confides. With this, it seemed natural for the psychology senior to pursue O-Chair. Through careful reflection, Trisha built her OrSem vision around showing freshmen what it means to be Ateneans for others—bearing in mind lessons from the University’s Ignatian education. But when she and Patricia Lero (3 BFA TA) received word that they were the official incoming O-Chairs prior to the pandemic, a daunting challenge lay ahead: Organizing an online OrSem amid a looming health crisis. Despite fears and abrupt changes, Trisha set all shock aside and remained a source of assurance to the incoming Organizing Committee. Although the success of OrSem 2020 remains uncertain, Trisha feels that the event was able to offer

freshmen the opportunity to integrate themselves into the community. Looking back on her term as O-Chair, Trisha shares her biggest takeaway. “When you [are] working online with people... the biggest thing you have to give room for is [empathy],” she says. O-Chair duties aside, the demands of Trisha’s position as Ateneo CODE Training, Research, and Development Head were nothing short of exacting. She became heavily involved with recruitment, planning and evaluation seminars, macro projects, and interdepartmental work—all while Ateneo CODE was transitioning engagements such as XChange online. Furthermore, Trisha and the rest of the S7 revisited the organization’s internal approaches and held consultations with members in order to gauge its pace for the year. Having faced these challenges head on, Trisha credits part of her formation as a leader to the people she worked with in Ateneo CODE. Through Ateneo CODE and OrSem, Trisha came to learn the greatest demand of all for any student leader: To keep oneself one grounded, as it is a necessary ingredient in cultivating collaborative environments. Searching for sunrise Looking on, Trisha admits to an uncertain career path. However, whether it is to pursue further studies in industrial and organizational psychology, venture into counseling psychology, or work for non-governmental organizations, she will continue to place service at the heart of her endeavors. “I [want] to be in a job that [will] allow me to serve other people. Ateneo has helped me be a lot more realistic about what...service means,” Trisha affirms.

Anja Abrogar Looking beyond achievements

Louise Dimalanta Forging a better history

28 Gabby Ozaeta Strength in humility

26 Mikaela Magpayo The dignity to wear white

Cisco Ortega Continuing the cycle

29 Marty Santos Art for everyone

GENIUSES LOOKING BEYOND ACHIEVEMENTS

Anja Abrogar BY CAITLIN ANNE YOUNG

With hard work and dedication, I can truly make an impact on the world of business and on society.

ONLY A few people can manage to graduate at the top of their high school class while maintaining their academic excellence in college—Ateneo Freshman Merit Scholar Anja Abrogar (4 BS ME) checks this box. Set to graduate as a magna cum laude with a minor in finance, Anja proves that consistency in genius is possible. However, while Anja makes her achievements look simple, she shows that her accomplishments simply stem from a passion for learning and hard work. The journey towards meaning Growing up, Anja always loved math and numbers, and there was no better joy for her than discovering the solution to a difficult math problem. Anja recounts a time in her childhood when she spent 12 hours solving math problems because she was having so much fun. “One time my dad even grounded me from studying,” she laughs. While this desire to constantly challenge herself seems positive, Anja would take it upon herself to always be at the top of her class. However, as she grew older, Anja realized that those efforts were futile as she would never be happy comparing herself to others. As a result, her motivation became to consistently improve herself and constantly do her best in everything she does. While Anja does give herself a strict schedule— strategically dividing her time among academics, organizational work, and exercise—she now does it for her own self-fulfillment. This passion for knowledge and selfimprovement eventually led Anja to choose BS ME, as the program’s academically rigorous curriculum was perfect for her.

Despite the difficulty of the program, Anja attributes the ease of her transition to college to a good work ethic and welldeveloped habits. In her free time, Anja makes it a point to continuously improve and hone old and new skills by studying math problems and training herself in memorization. “It’s really just building on your strengths [and] practicing them. It’s so much easier now because I worked so hard before,” she says. Ultimately, this is one of Anja’s most defining traits: An insatiable desire for learning and pushing herself to greater heights. “I can’t imagine a world where I’m not trying [my best],” Anja explains with a light in her eyes. It’s this attitude that has taken Anja far with her goals in life. Now in search of a brand-new passion for her post-college life, Anja has discovered a keen interest in the world of finance. An identity beyond excellence Being a geek for math and numbers, Anja landed two highly competitive finance internships early in her senior year: One as a corporate analyst intern at JPMorgan Chase and the other as an equity sales and research intern at Deutsche Regis Partners, Inc. During these internships, Anja enjoyed the intensive analytical processes and admired how teams collaborated to solve a singular problem. These experiences eventually pushed her to pursue a career in finance. With this newfound career interest, Anja set her sights on a new goal: Making Ateneo’s CFA Institute Research Challenge (IRC) team. Joining the team was no easy feat as Anja needed to take the CFA IRC

trial class to qualify while simultaneously fulfilling her obligations with her internships. Eventually, Anja’s efforts paid off when she was chosen for the team and eventually won the local championship. Despite all her accomplishments, Anja hopes to leave a mark with her work ethic and her relationships with other people. “If I look back and think about my best and most memorable experiences, it’s all outside of academics,” she muses. Anja recounts organizing garage sales as the batch representative in tenth grade and decorating all the teacher’s offices as the public relations officer of Poveda’s student council. Meanwhile, Anja names becoming the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team manager as one of her favorite college experiences. Looking at the future, Anja wants to live a well-rounded life. Despite planning a career in finance, she wants to eventually go beyond the academe or the corporate world and do something that can impact others positively similar to what her parents do. Her father’s business creates jobs for thousands of Filipino coconut farmers while her mother makes movies for people to enjoy. “[My mom] always tells me I can do whatever I want, and she makes me believe it,” Anja says. What Anja will be defined as in the future remains to be seen, but with her drive and dedication for excellence, her next venture beyond the four walls of the University will certainly be meaningful.

GENIUSES FORGING A BETTER HISTORY

Louise Dimalanta BY CAITLIN ANNE YOUNG

It’s important for people to constantly discern their actions and find things that give them meaning.

IN TODAY’S fast-changing world, our generation has grown obsessed with trying to predict the future to decide on our next step in life. However, magna cum laude graduate Louise Dimalanta (4 AB HI) believes that we must remember the events of yesterday in order to better prepare ourselves for what tomorrow brings. With a love for history, Louise blazes a trail of her own—one where she sifts through past experiences in order to improve society, one step at a time. The birth of a flame Growing up in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Louise initially fell in love with the storytelling aspect of history. Louise recalls elementary school trips to museums where she would always be the last to leave an area because she was reading every artifact’s description. Naturally, this developed into a love for reading history books. “I think I started with the Kids Almanac 2008 and [with] memorizing US presidents,” she laughs. This love for history continued even as Louise grew older as she eventually applied for the Ateneo’s AB History program and received a Director’s List scholarship. Louise’s path as a history major in Ateneo goes beyond a mere love for storytelling, as she hopes to better understand the past in order to make better choices in the present. “That’s what history offers—a look into the past in order to humanize the decisions made then,” the 2021 Program Awardee for History explains. As the Human Resources Head of her course’s home organization the League of Atenean Historians (LAHI), Louise encouraged her orgmates to live out LAHI’s advocacy:

Pushing for a more critical narrative of history. For her, learning from the mistakes of the past shapes one’s current mindset, allowing people to live a more purposeful life. Another LAHI advocacy that Louise lives out is the appreciation of history in our daily life. Louise best embodied this during her Junior Term Abroad (JTA) at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in Italy, where her outlook of history changed forever. Keeping the fire burning Arriving in Italy in February 2020, Louise was excited to visit various historical sites around Europe. While most of these plans came to a screeching halt at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Louise was still struck by the beauty of these culturally rich places and how the Europeans were appreciative of their own historical impact. Returning home to Tuguegarao after five months, Louise saw a stark contrast for Filipinos in terms of cultural and historical appreciation while working on her thesis. Utilizing the cultural archives in several of Cagayan’s cultural venues, Louise marveled at the wealth of information before her. However, she laments how Filipinos aren’t aware that these places exist in their localities. “Even my friends were surprised that we had a library here,” she says. With a desire to increase people’s awareness of the local cultural and historical heritage, Louise chose former Cagayan Governor Teresa Dupaya—who established the province’s museums and libraries—as her thesis topic. Dupaya’s legacy also included the opening of historical and archaeological sites like caves, increasing Cagayan’s tourism and economic development. In fact, Louise credits her ability to

conduct research for her thesis amid the local lockdown to people such as Dupaya. Because of this, Louise wants to raise awareness of our culturally-rich past within the Filipino community. Like Dupaya, who allowed social sciences and economic development to flourish in harmony, Louise also wants people in the field of humanities and social sciences to work with people in business and natural sciences. Although the humanities and social sciences makes one more mindful of the world, Louise feels that it often takes a backseat in favor of economic development and profit. “What are technological developments and profit if not for the betterment of the people and the society at large? The benefit of the people should always be at the forefront of these initiatives,” Louise explains. As such, Louise is interested in pursuing a cultural archiving position at a museum or library or a job that teaches kids history. “In order to create a positive impact on society, I want to be able to encourage kids one-by-one that the social sciences should work handin-hand with a lot of different fields that are put on a premium,” she shares. For Louise, the humanities and social sciences lend an element of purpose to the facts and figures of life, allowing them to discern how to build a better world. With a passion for helping others through the lens of history, there’s no doubt that Louise is set to leave a positive mark on society.

GENIUSES THE DIGNITY TO WEAR WHITE

Mikaela Magpayo BY JACOB A. JUINIO

The small things you do now make a big difference in the future.

IN DECIDING to pursue a career path, students are shaped by their personal experiences, and those pursuing a career in medicine are no exception. In the case of Mikaela Magpayo (4 BS HS), circumstances in her family life influenced her decision to take up medicine. Graduating magna cum laude this year, Mika wants to live her life in service of the less fortunate who need healthcare the most. The journey begins Growing up in a typical Chinese-Filipino family, Mika’s journey in medicine was not easy. Like other kids in her community, Mika was expected to take a course in the fields of business, computer science, or law to help her family’s business in the future. Fearing her parents’ disapproval, she decided to pursue medicine without their knowledge, informing them only moments before the entrance exam application’s submission deadline. Initially, her parents dissuaded her from pursuing this career path, but they eventually relented and supported her when they saw how determined she was to become a doctor. Mika’s determination to study medicine started after several encounters with family health emergencies. In one instance, one of her siblings suddenly froze, leaving Mika feeling helpless. Fortunately, her sister regained her ability to move after an hour. However, another incident happened one day; this time her father dropped his head and started vomiting on the dinner table, losing consciousness shortly after. Pararalyzed with fear, Mika stood

helpless once again. Thankfully, her father regained consciousness after a few minutes. However, recalling the trepidation she felt in both instances, Mika was determined to become a doctor. However, upon entering the Health Sciences program, Mika soon realized that medicine was not simply about diagnosing and treating patients; it also involved a variety of other disciplines such as economics, management, and political science. As health professionals need to overcome numerous barriers to ensure that proper care reaches those who need it most, Mika realized that being a doctor also requires the ability to effectively manage people and resources to be able to save as many people as possible. Keep moving forward With many frontliners suffering during this COVID-19 pandemic, Mika saw a need to improve the country’s public health system. As a pre-medicine student, she plays her part by keeping herself updated with the latest medical news and disseminating this knowledge to others. Aside from spreading awareness, Mika also ventured out of her comfort zone by partnering with Hygiene Heroes—a team headed by a University of California, Berkeley professor—to produce educational materials for the pandemic. Together, they created a COVID-19 storybook that taught children basic hygiene and safety protocols like washing their hands, covering

their mouths when coughing, and wearing masks at all times. Their aim was to spread awareness to those who have little to no access to this information and to remind people of the importance of adhering to COVID-19 safety measures. Beyond increasing awareness, Mika hopes to be at the forefront of revamping the country’s public health system in the future. To improve the Philippine healthcare system, Mika believes in the need to rehaul the fundamental building blocks of the system like service delivery, health workforce, and health information systems. For her, doing this would result in better access to essential medicines, financing, leadership, and governance, as well as eradicate barriers to healthcare access, and the lack of transparency on the pandemic response. As for her own personal practice, Mika has her eye on either pulmonology—because her dad and sister have respiratory issues—or cardiology. Her dream is to serve in underserved communities in order to improve people’s access to healthcare. Whichever path Mika decides to take, her desire to serve others will surely have a positive impact on Philippine healthcare. Her willingness to serve understaffed areas and to overcome barriers to healthcare are clear steps towards becoming a passionate doctor with a heart ablaze for others. As Mika goes through medical school, she cannot wait to don the garb of white, which she will wear bravely, selflessly, and proudly.

GENIUSES CONTINUING THE CYCLE

Cisco Ortega BY DANIEL DEL RIO

Teaching is a way of giving back.

WHEN YOU see Cisco Ortega (4 BS MA) during face-toface lectures, you’ll see him hunched over on his seat vigorously jotting down notes. However, on closer look, he is actually solving math and programming problems. An Ateneo Freshman Merit Scholar and a summa cum laude graduate, Cisco has a passion for solving math and programming problems, having excelled in numerous national and international contests since high school. For him though, it’s not just about endlessly gaining knowledge as he also strives to tirelessly share this knowledge to other like-minded students. Rise to the top Participating in math contests since he was eight years old, Cisco always had a natural talent for problem solving. However, it was not until he discovered the Numberphile channel on Youtube in his early high school days that he found appreciation in solving math problems. This newfound passion for problem solving eventually drew him to join the Ateneo Summer Programming Camp (ASPC) in his second year of high school, kickstarting his journey in the world of programming. Although Cisco was still relatively new to the competitive programming scene, his ASPC coach saw his potential and encouraged him to join the National Olympiad for Informatics (NOI.PH)—the country’s premiere high school programming contest—in his senior year of high school. Despite being a rookie in

the NOI.PH, Cisco defied the odds and reached the final round of the competition, where he was introduced to problems that made use of unfamiliar yet fascinating math and programming algorithms. The experience eventually led him to dive deeper into the world of competitive programming, inspiring him to devote much of his time to practice solving programming problems. Since devoting his time to programming, Cisco has consistently been a top performer in a variety of programming contests. Aside from local competitions, he was also a member of the top-performing Philippine teams in the 2019 and 2020 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) Asia-Pacific regionals. If not for the COVID-19 pandemic, he would have competed in the 2020 ICPC World Finals in Moscow, Russia, joining an elite tier as one of the few Filipinos to ever participate in the world tournament. Despite his vast amount of accomplishments, Cisco feels that he would have accomplished more as a programmer if he had a mentor earlier in his competitive programming career. Passion and purpose Without a mentor in his formative years, Cisco wanted to serve as a mentor to the next generation of programmers, applying to become the moderator of the Ateneo Senior High School Programming Varsity and regularly volunteering as a lecturer in the ASPC. “I want to teach because I want to give people the opportunity that I could not have,” Cisco says. For him, teaching is a way to give back because he recognizes his mentors’ immense role in his success.

“If you don’t teach them, then who will?” the 2021 Program Awardee for Mathematics says. With this newfound calling, Cisco sought to maximize his students’ potential. Knowing how difficult programming can be, he consistently strived to make his lectures and activities as engaging and fun as possible. Some of his recent efforts involve developing games like Jeopardy using Powerpoint or Hangman and brain puzzle games using Java. When developing these for his students, he keeps in mind two things: What he did not know back then, and what he would have wanted to know back then. This mindset always keeps him focused on what the student needs and would enjoy. He supports this with his own style of teaching, emphasizing learning by experience through tons of example items that help his students better grasp the concepts he teaches. Given his passion for teaching, Cisco aspires to become a math or programming professor in the Ateneo someday. Aside from teaching, he also hopes to improve the state of math and programming education in the Philippines through his research and lectures. His goal is to eventually make math and programming more accessible to everyone, increasing the opportunities for more Filipinos to excel in these fields. By becoming a teacher, Cisco is hoping to pave the way for his students to find the opportunities that he experienced as a student, empowering them to find their passion like he did—even outside of the classroom.

GENIUSES STRENGTH IN HUMILITY

Gabby Ozaeta BY MICAH AVRY GUIAO

There’s more to science than writing reports and working on experiments. Science is problem-solving.

“I JUST want to have a disclaimer that my immediate career is not very long,” Gabby Ozaeta (5 BS CH-MSE) starts, when named as one of the geniuses in the batch. However, behind this humility is a highly accomplished chemistry major who has excelled in every involvement she participated in—whether in academics, student organizations, or global competitions. Gabby might have bloomed late in her journey, but her accolades show that she is on the fast track to success. As the Program Awardee for BS CH-MSE and the regional winner in Schneider Electric’s Go Green in the City 2019, she is set to become one of the country’s most promising young scientists. Late bloomer Hailing from a family with a strong background in the humanities and social sciences, Gabby viewed the natural sciences as an uncharted territory growing up. However, keen to explore something new, she eventually developed a penchant for the natural sciences. “[Science] was different from what my peers were trying and from what my family has ever done. I thought it would be interesting,” she shares. Naturally, Gabby’s desire to pursue a career outside her comfort zone was marred with difficulties. In high school, she had high hopes to be part of the advanced class for chemistry, only to receive a rejection letter in the end. “It was like my worst day of that year because I had known that I wanted to try to do something related to chemistry,” she says in hindsight. Although she never ended up in that class, being accepted into Ateneo’s BS CH-MSE program was Gabby’s redeeming chance to start anew. With a dual major program in Materials Science Engineering, she

experienced a more hands-on approach in understanding the world around her through the material application of her theoretical knowledge in chemistry. As she acted on her inclination towards the natural sciences, Gabby knew deep down that her specific interest had always been in renewable energy. Hence, when one of her blockmates tapped her to join Schneider Electric’s Go Green in the City 2019, Gabby immediately accepted the challenge. Together with the Class of 2020 Valedictorian Yumi Briones (BS CH ‘20), Gabby created Rainshine, a panel that generates electricity from sunlight and rain. This won them the Asia-Pacific Championship and landed them a spot as one of the competition’s seven global finalists. A quest for more Despite achieving a rare feat, Gabby’s remarkable success gave birth to bouts of impostor syndrome—she began to question how she won a regional competition in the first place. Being the Asia-Pacific Champion required her to give several presentations and interviews, which only fueled her feelings of fraudulence. “I didn’t realize [the competition] was so high-profile until afterward,” she recalls. “I’m just a student, what am I actually doing?” she adds. Given these battles with impostor syndrome, Gabby insists that there is no secret to her success. For her, it was just a matter of being at peace with the knowledge that her best effort is good enough. Eager for growth, she fights personal stasis as she continues to find motivation in the people around her. “I’m surrounded by so many amazing people all the time… That makes me want to do better,” she shares.

In an effort to keep growing and expand her worldview beyond science, she also turned to student organizations. Among her efforts for self-actualization include her role as the president of the Ateneo Special Education Society (SPEED). As the SPEED President, she realized that her advocacy work to promote inclusivity within marginalized sectors is closely tied to her goal of making science more accessible to everyone. “In SPEED, we always talk about inclusivity, but what does that really mean?” she inquires. To Gabby, inclusivity is an all-encompassing term that should be applied to just about everything—even in the field of science. “I don’t know where chemistry will be headed in five years from now, but I do know that it’s important to think about ways to make it accessible to people,” she muses. Today, Gabby ends her college journey in the same manner she started it—in the process of expanding her perspectives through her relationship with science and the special needs sector. In all her accomplishments thus far, the value of holistic learning remains at the forefront of her scientific endeavors. “That’s kind of what I’ve been taking away after all these years—the constant learning of how to deal with things, even [with matters that are initially] out of your depth,” Gabby says. “Whatever I end up doing [in the future], I hope it’s in a way that uses my knowledge from different things.”

GENIUSES ART FOR EVERYONE

Marty Santos BY GERRICK C. LIMSIY

I really want art to be accessible to people because art is really for the people in my opinion.

WITH A glint of light in her eyes and a wide smile on her face, Marty Santos (4 AB HUM) speaks about art with a childlike excitement. Having been immersed in the world of art galleries and museums since she was a child, Marty grew adept at appreciating and understanding the beauty of art. However, as she pored through the readings for her Art Management and Creative Writing tracks, Marty’s connection with art now goes beyond simple appreciation as she dreams of one day making art accessible to everyone. Path towards fulfillment Growing up in a family of artists, Marty naturally gravitated towards the arts and was determined to pursue a career in the arts. However, one issue Marty faced was her lack of talent for creating art. Because of this, Marty decided to pursue art management instead. “I wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t have the talent to create art, so I said, ‘Why not study it nalang?’ so that in the future I can be the one taking care of [my family’s] art,” Marty shares. With this plan in mind, Marty entered the AB Humanities program with vigor and excitement. However, what started out as a promising college journey soon turned into bouts of self-doubt and insecurity for Marty. After starting her freshman year with five other coursemates, Marty soon found herself with only two other people in the program as people slowly shifted out one-by-one. To make matters worse, Marty also experienced a sense of loneliness as she was usually the only AB HUM student taking art management and creative writing classes. “The hard thing about being in [AB] Humanities is that you don’t really belong anywhere, so I’m very isolated,” Marty laments. Wanting to feel a sense of belonging, Marty thought of shifting out of her specialization track in her

sophomore year. However, after taking an Art Management class that same year, she realized how much she enjoyed her course and how useful it would be for her future career plans. Because of this, Marty resolved to live her college life for herself and not for the sake of finding a sense of belonging. “I was so worried about what other people were thinking or the experiences that I was missing out on that I forgot to notice how useful my course was, especially for what I want in my future,” the 2021 Program Awardee for Humanities says. As Marty came to terms with her course, her focus shifted to maximizing the opportunities present to her in college to push forward her advocacy of making art accessible to everyone. One of these opportunities was the Junior Term Abroad (JTA). Widening her perspective With a plan to go to Europe for JTA and learn more about the arts there, Marty was originally set to leave in the second semester. However, all her plans changed when she received an email late in her sophomore year inviting her to apply for the National University of Singapore’s TEMASEK scholarship. Presented with an opportunity to study in one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Marty accepted the invite in a heartbeat.

more holistic perspective of art as she learned about different issues like gender and class privileges that result in unequal access to art. Outside of her classes, Marty was also exposed to different cultures. In one of her extracurricular activities, Marty was tasked to spend time with elderly Singaporeans in retirement homes, playing bingo with them and assisting them with their activities. Despite the language barrier, the experience opened Marty’s eyes to different human realities that widened her perspective of the world. “Meeting different people really helped me gain an understanding and a deeper appreciation of what it meant to be human, and I think that will eventually seep it’s way into whatever I make in Creative Writing and Art Management,” she says. Armed with the knowledge and new perspectives she learned in Singapore, Marty decided to use her thesis to discuss the different issues in art that create a disparity in terms of access and opportunity. Her thesis also contains a booklet catered to teenagers which tells the stories of many legendary Filipino artists. “The first step to anything is awareness, and then spreading that awareness. It’s not gonna solve it completely, but it’s like a step forward,” says Marty. Looking ahead, Marty’s goal is to start an art exhibit that everyone can enjoy, not just the upper class. In the meantime, Marty plans to work in a museum or an art gallery to hone her skills and pursue her dream of becoming an art curator. As Marty goes down the hill, she continues to work towards making art accessible to everyone.

During her time in Singapore, Marty’s appreciation of arts and the humanities grew deeper. In her Art in Society and Art History classes, Marty developed a

32 AJ Arcilla He’s a keeper

35 Chanelle Lunod Lasting legacies

33 Aki Cariño Strong after six

36 William Navarro Humble beginnings

34 Chloe Daos Golden girl

Mireille Qua Out in open water

ATHLETES HE’S A KEEPER

AJ Arcilla BY SELINA A. DE DIOS

Work for what you want because you’re not going to be handed things.

EVEN WITH all action happening at the midfield, one will never fail to notice Alexandre Jae “AJ” Arcilla’s (5 AB SOS) fierce intensity from the six-yard box. Firing up the squad with his impassioned words, he does what he knows best: Lead. Despite the potential he showed throughout his time in college, the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely stripped him of his final two years of eligibility in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Now that the final whistle has blown in his career, AJ has left it all out on the field—showing the true hustle and heart of a champion. An early kick off What began as AJ kicking a ball around a Californian school yard for fun during recess eventually developed into a devoted fondness for the game of football. At the age of 10, AJ solidified his position as a goalkeeper when he won a championship and made the all-star team during a tournament. Throughout the years, AJ continued to hone his skills as a goalkeeper in preparation for college football. In his senior year of high school, his club coach—who had been the recruiter for the Philippine women’s national team in the United States—introduced AJ to professional opportunities in the Philippines. However, AJ made it clear that he wanted to study and play in college first. While his coach was able to connect him to different local universities, he eventually booted up for the Blue

and White when Coach Jaypee Merida offered him a spot on his roster almost immediately. Onwards and upwards With his arrival in Ateneo, he experienced the occasional homesickness, but the banter and warm welcome from the team helped him settle into the brotherhood. “In America we call it soccer… [so] everybody would make fun of me. It’s like, ‘oh AJ, soccer boy,’ or ‘Am-boy’” like ‘Fil-Am,’” AJ shares. Although he had no trouble establishing good rapport with his teammates, AJ’s first few daunting tasks included adjusting to the aggressive playstyle of Filipino teams coupled with acclimating to the humid Philippine weather. Not to be outdone, AJ breezed through these challenges and helped bring home the trophy in Season 79. Apart from the championship, the rookie bagged the highest individual accolade for his position: The Goalkeeper of the Year award. Coming off a high, AJ and the team began anticipating their title defense. However, AJ and the Blue Eagles fell to the University of the Philippines during the UAAP Season 80 semi-finals and failed to secure back to back championships. After the loss, AJ vowed to return to championship form and in the following year, he followed through as the Blue Eagles took down the De La Salle University in UAAP Season 81. Besides defeating his archrivals, AJ secured another Goalkeeper of the Year Award to add to his collection of awards. An untimely exit Entering UAAP Season 82, AJ was on top of the world after being named team captain of the Blue Eagles.

Fresh off another UAAP championship, he had also just completed an impressive stint with the national team as part of the training pool for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic spelled a different story for AJ’s future on the pitch. When the season was indefinitely postponed and the chances for resumption were bleak, he decided to head home to California where he would continue virtual training. Eventually the news about the cancellation of Season 82 broke out in April 2020, but AJ was reassured by the fact that he still had his fifth year to play out. Because of this, he maintained his rigorous workout routine and diet in order to be in peak shape until Season 83, along with his last playing year, was eventually called off. Having been an athlete since the age of six, the abrupt end to his career was hard for AJ to stomach as he was not ready to permanently let go of football. With the next chapter of his life looming, AJ knows that it will mean hanging up his cleats in order to focus on the next journey: Becoming a nurse. Currently, he is working on becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant before enrolling to nursing school. Despite his stellar career getting cut short, AJ looks back with no regrets over his decision to play for Ateneo.“I was able to learn so much [in football] and like good or bad, I was able to experience so many things that... [football] has made me into the man I am today,” shares AJ. Although AJ’s story as a footballer ends here, he can look back on the decorated, impactful, and longlasting legacy he will leave behind for Blue Eagles in the years to come.

ATHLETES STRONG AFTER SIX

Aki Cariño BY SELINA A. DE DIOS

When I got older I realized how important swimming is to me, it relaxes me.

TRUE BLUE is a phrase commonly used to describe those who studied in Ateneo from grade school up to college. Not only is Aki Carino (4 BS MGT) a true blue Atenean, he is a loyal Blue Eagle as well. With six gold medals, five silvers, and a bronze medal to go along with three championships throughout his collegiate stint, the captain of the Fast Ateneo Swim Team (FAST) has brought pride to the University. Through Aki’s storied career, which is highlighted by more than a dozen awards to boot, he is a testament to how loyalty pays off in and out of the pool. A tale of two sports As a young Blue Eaglet, Aki’s swimming career began with his enrollment in the Ateneo Grade School Learn to Swim program. After doing well in the minicompetition that was held at the end of the summer program, the coaches recommended he try out for the grade school team. At first, Aki did not wholly enjoy the solitary aspect of swimming for he longed to play a team sport like football. However, Aki still desired to stay in the pool, which led him to juggling both swimming and football. In sixth grade, he took a one-year hiatus from swimming to focus completely on football. However, Aki’s love for swimming grew in his time away from the pool. “Switching to football that year helped me miss swimming more, it helped me gain more perspective. I realized after [that] swimming was the sport for me,” he shares. Before moving up to Ateneo High School (AHS), Aki chose to focus on swimming having seen better opportunities for himself in the sport.

Continuing the legacy With all of his dedication now focused on swimming, Aki’s next challenge was to compete in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Juniors Division. However, Aki steamrolled past his competitors as he garnered a total of 17 medals. In his junior year, he etched his name in UAAP Juniors history by breaking a longstanding individual record in the 200-meter backstroke. Upon reaching his senior year in high school, Aki was faced with his biggest mountain climb yet: Leading the team as captain in their bid to extend their 11peat. Unfortunately, the 11-year championship streak was broken after the other UAAP schools focused on strengthening their rosters. Despite Ateneo’s run coming to an end, Aki was happy that his team did not back down and fought hard until the last event. In the major leagues Coming from such a setback, Aki took it as inspiration to put in the extra work in the offseason to improve his physicality as he moved on to the seniors category. “I realized early on [that] I had to step up,” he says. After a promising debut season, he was given the mantle of co-captain, a big responsibility for such a young athlete. This gave him valuable leadership experience that he made use of next year when he was named the overall FAST men’s captain.

As a junior in college and now captain of the team, Season 82 was a tough challenge for Aki. With FAST losing seven veterans to graduation—among them being Olympians Jessie Lacuna and Aldo Batungbacal—Ateneo entered the UAAP as an underdog under Aki’s leadership. However, Aki refused to back down and helped lead the team mount a comeback on the last day. With FAST still lagging behind in the standings throughout the course of the competition, Aki gave a rallying cry to his team the night before the final day of events. “[Let’s] just swim our hearts out on the last day. Swim for each other and swim for yourselves. We won’t go down without a fight,” he recounts. With his team fired up, the season boiled down to the final relay where Aki swam the backstroke. In the end, Aki was able to pull through and secure the six-peat for the Blue and White. The next chapter With one more year of eligibility left in the UAAP, Aki has yet to decide whether he will come back to swim while pursuing a postgraduate degree. For now, his competitive career will come to an end as he sets his focus on his current goal of becoming a pilot after graduation. From balancing two sports, to continuing the legacy of the AHS team, to moving up to the big leagues with FAST, and now moving on to the next chapter, Aki faced considerable pressure throughout his roller coaster of a career. Despite this, Aki rose to every occasion. Despite his loaded medal tally, Aki’s proudest achievement is the person he became outside the pool. “[Swimming] taught me discipline. It taught me hard work. It gave me confidence in myself,” he says.

ATHLETES GOLDEN GIRL

Chloe Daos BY SELINA A. DE DIOS

I think it finally came to a point that I was happy with all that I was able to achieve in swimming.

SINCE 2017, Chloe Daos’ (4 BS MGT) name has boomed over the loudspeaker of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Swim meet—usually to be invited to the podium. When she is not breaking records, the phenom is busy studying and being an all-around achiever. Although the cum laude graduate’s decision to forego her final two years of eligibility came as a shock to many, Chloe is satisfied with how far she has come as a swimmer. Off the diving blocks At the age of three, Chloe’s parents enrolled her in a summer program so that she could overcome her fear of the water—from there, her swimming career took off. By 11 years old, she was training twice a day with the national team to prepare for the Southeast Asian Age Group Swimming Championships. Because of her rigorous training regimen, Chloe applied some of the skills she picked up from swimming such as time management and steadfast discipline in the classroom. These allowed her to graduate as an honor student at her high school, the Immaculate Conception Academy. Although she was excelling academically, burnout and frustration with her sport almost got the best of her as she felt that her relationship with swimming was headed in a different direction. “It came to a point in my life that I got tired of it all [swimming]... Around my fourth year [in high school], I wasn’t really improving [as an athlete] any more,” Chloe reveals. However, Coach Archie Lim, her club and national team coach, as well as the coach of the FAST Ateneo Swim Team (FAST), convinced her to give swimming one

more try. Eventually, she entered her dream university—Ateneo, where she fell in love with the sport once again. Life in the fast lane Upon entering the University, Chloe had to make a number of adjustments. Even though she had experienced twice a day training before, collegiate swimming demanded a much more strenuous practice schedule that involved three-hour workouts in the morning and afternoon. Apart from a heavier training load, Chloe’s new teammates were now closer to her in terms of age and caliber which required her to push herself more during training to keep up with them. However, it did not take long for Chloe to taste the fruits of her labor. In UAAP Season 80, she bagged the Rookie of the Year award and the Most Valuable Player trophy. On top of these accolades, she also accomplished a near perfect sweep, accumulating a total of six gold medals and one silver finish. Despite Chloe’s phenomenal performance in her rookie year, she continued to outdo herself in the succeeding seasons. “I just really tried to beat my personal best times… I tried also to go for a record because I wasn’t able to do that during my freshman year,” she shares. By Season 82, the end of her collegiate career, Chloe kept her win record flawless and amassed an additional 14 gold medals, as well as three MVP trophies to boot. When she is not soaring through the water, Chloe would be found fulfilling her requirements for a degree in Management, with a minor in Project Management. As a result of her diligence inside and outside of the pool, she was awarded The GUIDON Moro Lorenzo Sportswoman of the Year Award twice in Seasons 80

and 82. The University also acknowledged her accomplishments further by bestowing her with the prestigious Ambrosio Padilla Athlete of the Year distinction in 2020 for her athletic and academic achievements. A bittersweet ending Primed and poised for her fourth year of competition, Chloe was ready to take on Season 83. However, upon receiving the news regarding the tournament’s cancellation, Chloe knew she would have to decide whether to let go of swimming or stay on for another year. Upon confiding in her loved ones, she was finally set on graduating and leaving collegiate swimming behind. After four years with FAST, Chloe’s love for swimming and her stellar journey in the UAAP was enough for her to hang up the towel in the collegiate swimming ranks. “To finally be in that [happy] place after so long was one of the factors that made me decide that it’s okay already—I’m already happy with what I was able to do,” Chloe explained. Not only has Chloe reached a sense of contentment with regard to her collegiate athletic career, she is also graduating with Cum Laude honors—a distinction she is proud of. Yet with so many accomplishments already under her belt, Chloe still has her eyes on something bigger—representing the Philippines in the upcoming 2021 Southeast Asian Games. She is currently training for the tentative qualifying meet scheduled for August 2020. Simultaneously, she is continuing her marketing internship in Shopee. Although Chloe’s college career was cut short, she will surely continue to make waves in the pool even after going down from the hill. More than that, her high-caliber talent and determined attitude will continue to carry her towards a truly legendary status.

ATHLETES LASTING LEGACIES

Chanelle Lunod BY MARGAUX ARCINAS

Without my teachers and coaches I wouldn’t be who I am today. The values I learned can be applied to real life.

WHILE CINDERELLA stories are a familiar plotline in sports, only a few athletes solidify themselves as top contenders. Among them is Chanelle Lunod (5 BS MIS). Having sported a racket for more than a decade, Chanelle has shown grit and matury in every victory and loss she has garnered throughout her career. Humble beginnings At only eight years old, Chanelle found her way to the badminton court because of her parents, who were avid badminton fans. Upon suiting up to play for the first time in 2007, Channelle fell in love with the game almost immediately. Throughout the years, Chanelle competed for various club teams in different events. With an extensive experience under her belt, it is no surprise that she finds it difficult to recount her first taste of victory, but can still recall her first loss like it was yesterday. Although the match happened in 2008, Chanelle carries the memory of that fateful day in SM Megamall where she dropped her first mixed doubles match. “I would tell my parents not to go inside [SM Megamall] because I remember how sad I was when I lost,” she shares. Instead of letting the loss get the best of her, she used it to motivate her on her way to win many more matches. “I enjoyed the process of losing at first and then winning because when you’re winning, you know what it feels like to be challenged,” she adds. As a result of her renewed mindset, she managed to

claim a spot in the National Capital Region Athletic Association team that won gold in Palarong Pambansa in 2015 and 2016. Living the dream With college nearing, Chanelle fulfilled her dream of going to Ateneo and became a Lady Eagle. However, her recruitment into the team came with a lot of pressure to succeed alongside her new teammates. Now training among powerhouse names like Bianca Carlos, Trixie Malibiran, and Cassandra Lim, Chanelle felt that she would not be able to contribute to the team because she would compare her skills to theirs. After a devastating loss in UAAP Season 79 that could have given Ateneo the crown in Chanelle’s rookie year, she questioned her place on the team and blamed herself for their defeat. “If I had won that [match], we would’ve won the championship,” she states. Consequently, the loss reminded her of that day in SM Megamall and the disappointment she felt towards herself. “It made me feel [na] parang, ‘do I really belong here?’ like they’re all stars so parang I’m not like that,” she expresses. In an effort to overcome her defeat, Chanelle began to train everyday and tried to become more comfortable around her teammates by bonding with them in her sophomore year.

Chanelle and her team pushed to achieve their tip top form just in time for the beginning of the UAAP. When the UAAP Season 81 Women’s Badminton finals rolled around, Chanelle finally avenged herself from the loss in her first season by taking home the crown and winning the co-MVP award. Coming off a high from the championship, Chanelle was met with the sad news that one of her favorite mentors, Coach Vic would be leaving the country. Amid the difficulties that came after season 81 such as adjusting to Coach Vic’s absence, Chanelle experienced a bout of burnout. However, she was able to power through it just in time for UAAP Season 82 where her team remained undefeated and Chanelle took home another co-MVP award. What the future holds As her time in collegiate badminton wanes, Chanelle is able to look back on her stellar career where she overcame various challenges such as self-doubt and pressure. Although she will now have to hang up her Blue and White kit, Chanelle looks forward to elevating her game with the national team. With new opportunities such as competing in the Southeast Asian Games drawing very near for Chanelle, she has cemented herself as one of the most tenacious Lady Eagles to grace the badminton court.

By her junior year, Bianca, Trixie, and Cassandra had already graduated, leaving Chanelle behind to take up the mantle. Now a veteran herself, Chanelle had to become the role model of her teammates as she led them in preparation for the upcoming season. However, Chanelle was not completely alone in spearheading the team. With the help and guidance of her coaches Vic Asuncion and Kennie Asuncion-Robles,

ATHLETES HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

William Navarro BY JAMES B. GAVINA

Every day you try to learn something so learn, ask questions, and don’t be shy.

“NORTHPORT PICKS William Navarro,” the words echo as the curtains set on the collegiate career of the forward from the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team (AMBT).

ty. It did not take long until his talents were noticed by AMBT Head Coach Tab Baldwin who offered him a spot on the lineup.

Prior to being selected second overall in the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association draft, William Navarro (4 AB IS) played with junior EuroLeague teams before coming to the Philippines to play college basketball. Although his first year season in the University Athletic Association (UAAP) was spent mostly on the bench, he stepped up after Season 81 and proved he was a key member of the squad. As he departs from the team, he will be bringing his leadership and experience to the professional ball game with him.

Two for two Much like Navarro, Coach Tab had a background in European basketball. Because of this, William found the Blue Eagles’ style of play much more comfortable and similar to his own. In the end, he took advantage of the opportunity to play under a system that he felt would suit him better as a player. “Thankfully [I was able to fit into the system]. Whatever the team needed, I was doing,” he adds.

Uphill climb Hailing from Ampelokipoi, Greece, William first played for his hometown team before joining the junior team of Panathinaikos. However, his priorities shifted to thinking about college before he could join the senior team of Panathinaikos. Taking into consideration his parents’ wish for him to study in the Philippines, William took the chance to bid Greece goodbye after being discovered online by Nardy Madrasto, a basketball fan looking for Filipinos playing overseas.

With Ateneo, Navarro gained more opportunities to showcase his skills such as when he displayed his talents on the big stage in the 40th William Jones Cup where Ateneo finished in fourth place. In his breakout game against Lithuania, William stuffed the statistics sheet with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals. For the young forward, this experience remains with him to this day as it marks the first time he represented not just the Blue and White, but the Philippines as well.

Upon making his way to the Philippines, the young forward found a home with the San Beda Red Lions. As a Red Lion, William took the time to adjust to the Philippine style of basketball which, for him, focused on physicality and speed as opposed to the European style that emphasized team-play.

When UAAP Season 81 began, William was a spark plug off the bench and found ways to contribute as a role player. “I just know that I will do my best if I’m given the chance,” commented Navarro in an interview with Inquirer Sports following a match against arch rival De La Salle University.

Throughout his time with San Beda, William became a versatile forward who possessed both length and agili-

Coming out of his rookie year, one of the challenges he had to overcome in the offseason was improving his

consistency on the court. Through extra training, his hard work paid off as he became a consistent starter in Ateneo’s bid for a three-peat. Hoping to play out another campaign, Navarro remained with the team after Season 82. Going pro Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the graduating senior did not get the chance to add another gold medal to his collection. Without a clear schedule for resumption of the UAAP in the foreseeable future, he opted to take his basketball career to the professional level. Apart from wanting to elevate his level of play, another contributing factor to William’s decision to leave collegiate basketball behind is his wish to give back and begin supporting his parents. Since his father Randy currently remains in Greece as a seaman, William hopes that a professional basketball career will allow him to let his parents retire. With his selection as the second pick in the Special Gilas Draft, he officially secured his pro player status and a spot on the Gilas Cadets pool. From training in the EuroLeague, to riding the bench in Mendiola, then contributing to Ateneo’s three-peat, William’s unique basketball journey has shaped him into the player that he is now. After taking the time to first establish his name, William has goals of playing again in Greece or elsewhere: “Kung anong opportunity meron siguro, you never know (Whatever opportunity is available I guess, you never know),” he shares.

ATHLETES OUT IN OPEN WATER

Mireille Qua BY ALLY S. CRESPO

You can’t get away with just being smart in rowing. You have to be strong.

THE SECONDS on the clock would come to a startling halt whenever Mireille Qua’s (4 BS MAC) boat crossed the finish line. Pushing and pulling at the oars by her side, she is a force to be reckoned with as she would finish each race faster than the last.

second fastest time in the women’s team that season. During her first tournament in 2018 for the Varsity Boat Race Malaysia, Mireille and her boatmates finished as 2,000m Women’s Eight Finalists.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic blocked every chance for Mireille to return to the water. Despite no longer being able to compete in on-site tournaments, she makes use of her experiences to lead the Ateneo Rowing Team (ART) amid the most turbulent of times.

Off to a great start in her competitive career, Mireille reeled in more awards including a silver finish for the 2,000m Women’s Four in the 2019 edition of the same tournament. With considerable competitive experience, it was no surprise that Mireille was called on to train with the national team for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

At the catch Looking back on her athletic career, Mireille was not always the decisive leader that she is today. In her freshman year, she sought to join the ART during her second semester as a way to stay fit despite not knowing anything about the sport. After a rigorous try-out process that involved multiple tests of endurance and stamina, Mireille made it to the team’s training pool. “I was pretty excited [upon being accepted into the team] because I was like, ‘Uy I’m doing something in college,’” she shares. Following her stint in the training pool throughout the second semester of freshman year, Mireille eventually secured a spot on the roster in her sophomore year and developed a bond with her veterans. “During that time I was pretty close to my captain. She was my benchmark… She would tell me, ‘You have a lot of potential kasi,’ when I was new,” she says. Although Mireille’s seniors never explicitly cheered her on, she attributes her fast development in the sport to her teammates who corrected her form. Motivated to show her veterans what she had learned from them, Mireille made her way to recording the

Turbulent waters Despite the huge honor that came with training as a reserve in the national team, Mireille could not help but feel alone. “At the time I was super sad din because I was the only one from Ateneo training in the national team,” she says. After their practice sessions, she would often have to rush to class and had no opportunity to bond with the national team. Apart from this, Mireille frequently rowed by herself because her water sessions took place in between the ART and the national team’s respective time slots at the La Mesa Dam. Consequently, Mireille’s isolation began to affect her studies. “[Juggling national team training and school] was probably the hardest...because that’s...when my grades were lowest because I couldn’t pay attention in class because I just wanted to sleep,” she recounts.

Power 10 Revitalized with her newfound purpose through her co-captaincy, Mireille looked forward to making the women’s team more independent from its male counterpart when it came to their training regimen. Besides creating a workout program that catered specifically to women, Mireille also had plans to streamline the team’s financial concerns and equipment procurement. Despite her thorough planning, nothing could have prepared Mireille for the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to create a seamless online transition, Mireille and the ART veterans held online classes to teach their recruits the basics of rowing. Although the “new normal” left Mireille unable to compete, she remained a steadfast role model to her teammates and showed up to virtual training sessions. However, an opportunity to represent the ART one last time by competing in the 2021 World Rowing Indoor Championships (WRICH) came knocking on Mireille’s door last January. Having qualified for the Finals through the Open Path Way, Mireille beat her personal best and finished in 13th place globally in the 500m sprint. With the WRICH marking the end of Mireille’s time as a university-level rower, Mireille looks back on her career in the ART knowing that she gave the team nothing but her very best. “I think I did enough for the team... I am satisfied with... all the things I have achieved [alongside the team],” she smiles.

Refusing to let the challenges she faced get the best of her, Mireille persevered and rowed on. Her dedication to the team and the sport was eventually recognized when she was named co-captain in 2020.

40 JJ Agcaoili Three dimensional art

44 Mikaela Regis The heart of a playwright

Timmy Albert Heart on his sleeve

Tamia Reodica Artist by blood

Macy Escay Designing that speaks volumes

Alex Sih Curtain call

Rafa Villon Through steps and screens

43 Raffy Mendiola Beyond the flesh

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS THREE DIMENSIONAL ART

JJ Agcaoili BY MARINA PENEYRA

At the end of the day, I’m fascinated by the human experience. That’s what ties design, art, and technology together.

A DAUNTING artform, three dimensional (3D) animation requires familiarity of different artistic disciplines like photography, set design, and videography. However, for JJ Agcaoili (4 BFA ID), 3D animation is an opportunity to tread the unknown. As one of the 3D animators in Ateneo, JJ aims to use his experimental approach to art as a medium to improve the overall human experience. Assembling the pieces Prior to mastering the art of maneuvering a digital space, the cum laude graduate found his creative roots through a pastime in his high school years: A video game called Team Fortress. The game, which encouraged users to create their own items for widespread use on the platform, piqued his interest in learning and experimenting with 3D animation through the creation suite software Blender. Although his works were not featured on Team Fortress, JJ was able to build a bank of knowledge in augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D animation through research on YouTube. Seeing the potential in the medium to explore his creative capabilities, JJ was motivated to continue pursuing 3D animation. As JJ honed his craft, years of experimentation and iteration eventually led him to become the 3D animator he is today. Developing the craft With over four years of experience, JJ has developed a distinct style and branding in his work. Inspired by his childhood toy Legos, JJ’s 3D models contain various construction parts and assembled pieces. “My style is very playful. I love textures, toys, and grounding my

material style in physical reality ‘cause that makes the objects I make feel real. It also allows me to be stylistically crazy and fun,” he shares. Similar to the branding of his animations, JJ’s creative process is equally playful. He begins his design process by jotting down ideas on his sketchpad and refining these plans through research. With an interest to push past design boundaries, JJ often engages in creative pursuits that challenges him to create new kinds of art. His recent artistic venture involves 3D printing a deliberately fragmented cup inspired by kintsugi, the Japanese art of using gold to mend broken pottery pieces. However, instead of creating a perfect cup, breaking it, and repairing it through kintsugi, JJ went beyond and experimented with 3D printing a cup with deliberately fragmented pieces. Through his unorthodox experimentation, JJ is able to fuel his creative spirit and further develop his craft. Other than using 3D animation to experiment, JJ also uses his skills for altruistic purposes. In 2020, he co-founded a design studio called Stoko Design Studio with four other friends to donate funds for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though initially operating on a commission basis, Stoko Design eventually offered services such as branding, motion graphics, logo design, and social media content. Within a few months, Stoko Design quickly evolved into a full-fledged business venture that continues to amass both local and international clients today. Through this collaboration with other creatives, JJ is inspired to expand his knowledge and integrate new

designs and techniques to his works. At the same time, he is able to integrate themes of Philippine culture and humanities themes into his art—which he learns from his girlfriend Cat. “You can learn the technical craft anywhere, but it’s in the contexts you work in that inform deeper things like creative philosophies. My creative capacity wouldn’t be this large if I hadn’t surrounded myself with talented people who inspire me everyday,” says the 2021 Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts in Visual Arts awardee. Modelling the future Despite his experiences and feats in 3D animation, JJ knows that he still has a long way to go in the artform. Besides learning more about 3D animation, JJ plans to enroll in a graduate school to study physical design. As for his loftier dreams, JJ wishes to take on larger projects that push him to go beyond his comfort zone, such as producing a feature film made entirely through 3D animation. With these goals in mind, JJ continues to develop his art which serves as a bridge that connects him with human experiences. As JJ continues to grow more as a creative, he hopes to use art and design to solve ethical and moral issues concerning technology and social media. “Design can solve problems; art can elicit emotions. With all the problems—the proliferation of fear on social media and the way people have become so trivial with human life—I see myself integrating design and art in technology to elicit emotional experiences and look for solutions. That’s what really engages me, so I hope to keep exploring that,” he says.

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS HEART ON HIS SLEEVE

Timmy Albert BY DANI CAPINDING

Without music, I feel like I’d be a different person all together.

ESTABLISHING ONESELF in the Philippine music scene is every musician’s dream, and Timmy Albert (4 BS CTM) proves that with an authentic voice, one can slowly rise and grow in the industry. With his hit songs, roses & sunflowers and emotions away garnering millions of streams on Spotify, Timmy has become a budding singer in the Philippine music industry and is continuing to share his music with authenticity and passion. Starting notes From a young age, music has always been a part of Timmy’s life. Being in a musically-inclined family, Timmy was immersed in a household that constantly played ‘80s music. As he regularly listened to distinguished artists such as Michael Jackson and Phil Collins, Timmy was greatly influenced by the retro sound which contributed to his undying love for music today. With Timmy growing more fond of music, he made it a point to listen to all types of music and to analyze songs to their core in order to fully learn how they were composed. Through this exercise, Timmy was determined to elevate his artistry in music and to find his distinct tone in his songs. Entering high school, Timmy continued to develop his unique sound by making covers of songs and posting these on social media while simultaneously producing his original music. Apart from recording his music, he also performed in small gigs and school-organized events which eventually established his promising music career. In 2019, Timmy hit one of his greatest milestones in his music career—an opportunity to be signed to an official label. Despite the happy news, Timmy faced a dilemma of how he would balance his life as a student and as a musician. “Getting signed for me was a very

big challenge because it was also about thinking about my priorities, and another thing was about getting to the right label,” he shares. Eventually, Timmy signed with Universal Records’ sub-label, Mustard Music, which allowed him to work professionally on his music while maintaining his creative freedom as a musician. With a grateful heart, Timmy continued to cultivate his sound and work hard by producing more songs, eventually hitting the twomillion stream mark on Spotify with his song roses & sunflowers in March 2020. Aside from this, Timmy was also given the opportunity to perform as the opening act for American singer-songwriter Jeremy Zucker’s concert in the Philippines. With these experiences in tow, Timmy felt that he was finally getting closer to achieving his dream of making it big in the music industry. However, as Timmy’s budding music career flourished, the challenge of striking a balance between his academics and music career faced him once more. “I think it goes back to [finding a balance between academics and music] wherein I’m just really trying to keep myself going,” shares the 2021 Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts in Music awardee. Despite the challenges he faced, Timmy eventually turned them into building blocks that influences his music today— which is an authentic expression of himself. An authentic sound Through his struggles of balancing his time as a student and as a musician, Timmy discovered that he could only find his sound if he expressed himself freely in his music. By being actively involved in writing his lyrics and making his music, Timmy became a comforting and relatable presence to the youth, revealing the truths of growing up and his personal

experiences of love. “I add [the lyrics] based on my experiences. It goes back to trying to be authentic where I’m just trying to tell a story which most likely happened in my life,” he explains. Given his childhood influences from ‘80s music, Timmy has leaned into the synth-pop genre in his music. With his distinct falsetto, his music resonates and becomes a distinct and warm source of comfort to listeners. Being a musician that expresses himself wholeheartedly, Timmy aims to continue being an active musician who is not afraid of putting his heart out through his craft. Ultimately, Timmy strives to live a life with no regrets. As he continues to show his authentic self to his listeners, Timmy aims to consistently make music that is true to himself. “I just wanna go for it in terms of never having that regret when I’m older and saying ‘I didn’t do this, I didn’t do that [with music]’,” he shares. Although Timmy is grateful to establish a budding music career at a young age, he remains as that passionate boy who had humble beginnings in music, singing songs with his heart on his sleeve.

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS DESIGN THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES

Macy Escay BY ZOE ANDIN

I want the design to talk about things that I like or to talk about things that I feel are important.

DESIGN IS an artform everyone encounters, but it takes a skillful set of eyes and hands to make design that speaks to the heart. The advocacy-driven work of Macy Escay (4 BFA ID), who is now graduating with Honorable Mention, helps her stand out among the many talented visual artists of Batch 2021. Behind Macy’s warm, headstrong, and down-to-earth demeanor is a strong design portfolio that combines her passion for art and her love for communicating meaningful messages. Learning the ropes Macy’s journey as a visual communicator began in high school after making publicity materials for school-wide events and projects. She started out on Canva before later upgrading to Photoshop for more versatility. Upon entering Ateneo, Macy continued to expand her skillset, learning other Adobe programs such as InDesign in a Foundations of Graphic Design class and learning how to animate with the help of her friends. With her versatile skill set, Macy’s design style is intent-driven, letting her message dictate her design rather than the medium. Her goal is to come up with a good design that does not take away from the intent and gravity of the topic at hand. At the same time, Macy’s design portfolio isn’t dreary to look at. The design elements she tends to go for are bold colors, textures, and “old island vibes” that can sometimes come off as retro. Macy isn’t a stickler for labels though, as she’s comfortable incorporating modern elements like digital photography with classic design techniques like illustrations. “I don’t stick through the kind of barriers of what retro was. I tried

to expand it. I try to adapt it to how I see design right now,” Macy shares. Given her wide range of design skills, Macy doesn’t feel tied down to one particular area of design work either. While some designers call themselves illustrators or type artists, Macy simply prefers to call herself a graphic designer. This flexibility helps her undergo a diverse set of experiences in her organizations and internships. Purposeful design As Macy slowly matured as a graphic designer, she developed an advocacy for environmentalism. The multi-dimensionality of environmental and social issues is what drew Macy towards climate justice. “Advocacy shouldn’t just be for the planet. It should also be for the people,” she asserts. Today, Macy involves herself in a more localized and targeted fight for climate justice. This approach was born out of her participation in the non-profit organization Bye Bye Plastic Bags in 2019, where she got to work on an online conference for Filipino environmentalists called Viterra. Through her participation in Viterra, Macy understood the value of having a more directed and focused advocacy. “[Viterra made me] want to take my advocacy more on a local sphere rather than a general ‘No to plastic’,” Macy shares. Furthermore, Macy emphasizes the need to make people understand why environmentalism matters and how climate change can affect society. Incorporating environmentalism into her design work came to a head during the onslaught of Typhoon

Ulysses in 2020. After seeing the destruction wrought by the supertyphoon, Macy created a typography work featuring a distorted font of her own handwriting that urged the government to declare a climate emergency in the Philippines. For Macy, declaring a climate emergency meant recognizing how disasters like typhoons have effects on social issues like housing. “We can’t stop typhoons from happening, but how can [communities] avoid it? How can they keep themselves safe from this environmental impact that they’re dealing with?” Macy laments. As design is a visual artform, Macy feels this is her best tool for talking about complex problems to a wider audience. Currently, Macy is a Creatives Head for Project Pulo, which focuses on environmental action and community development. Through Project Pulo, Macy hopes to move discussions of environmentalism beyond just “metal straw consumerism” and into more localized solutions to addressing climate issues. After several years of immersing herself in the art of visual communications, design has become Macy’s life—and she hopes to get more involved in branding and visualization work after graduation. As for her climate change advocacy, Macy hopes to set aside her weekends and holidays to continue visiting communities and working with them. Although the future remains uncertain for Macy, one thing is for sure: Whether she makes art for herself or for others, Macy puts all of her heart into visualizing and creating works that speak volumes.

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS BEYOND THE FLESH

Raffy Mendiola BY DANI CAPINDING

Because of makeup, I’ve been able to be more confident with myself.

BEHIND THE success of different events and productions is makeup artist Raffy Mendiola (4 BFA AM), whose creativity and talent are thriving in both school events and in professional gigs and photoshoots. Through their numerous engagements, Raffy proves that makeup is more than just behindthe-scenes work—it is an art form in itself. With makeup teaching them many valuable lessons, Raffy learned that makeup has the power to make individuals shine bright and feel empowered.

Apart from makeup’s power to make the ordinary look extraordinary, Raffy saw how makeup ensured creative freedom and autonomy in whatever shoot, production, or event was at hand. This ultimately led the wide-eyed makeup artist to fully commit to the craft. “Creativity is really the reason why I got into [makeup] in the first place. Having the creative freedom to do shoots like a space-aged theme type of look na (that’s) very interstellar [is] really fun lang kasi (only because) you get to call the shots,” Raffy shares.

Endless possibilities While makeup is seen as an art full of promise and possibilities, it is often still undervalued compared to other traditional art forms because of its short-lived canvas. However, Raffy believes this perspective must change. Although makeup is temporary, it still echoes the experience of seeing portraits in museums—a moment in which art makes one feel alive and in awe. “When you see [makeup on a] person, it’s the same way as looking at a painting,” says Raffy.

Starting with a blank canvas Makeup has always been a constant presence in Raffy’s life. Their love for makeup was sparked at a young age after seeing their grandmother’s luxury makeup collection. As Raffy mainly enjoyed painting and design, they saw makeup as a practical tool to cover up blemishes. However, through a gradual journey of experimenting with different looks, Raffy discovered how makeup was able to alter and reflect one’s personality and mood. From trying on smokey eyes and bold lips in freshman year to experimenting with more skin-centered looks in their upperclassmen years, Raffy realized that makeup is a journey of experimentation and self-discovery.

However, accompanying this creative freedom is makeup’s collaborative nature. Since working with many creative professionals entails many back and forth discussions, Raffy emphasizes that hard work and humility are needed to be respected in the industry. “I have to prove that it’s not just luck. I want them to be proven that I can do it because I worked hard for it,” they said. With this resolve, Raffy is constantly on the journey of perfecting their distinct technique.

Aside from makeup’s ability to make people feel alive and in awe, the art form has also taught Raffy many important life lessons that have left a permanent mark in their life. One such lesson is raking on a freer disposition. “[Now,] I’m not really shy to do more [with makeup] because if I make a mistake, I can always do it again,” shares Raffy. Despite makeup’s temporal nature, it has been a constant lesson of reassurance for Raffy, teaching them not to dwell on mistakes and to focus on what can be fixed.

When finding inspiration for their makeup looks, Raffy gravitated towards the vibrant and glittery colors of glam looks from the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s. They also looked up to and emulated professional makeup artists Anthea Bueno, Patrick Ta, and Jelly Eugenio, who are known for their versatile techniques that emphasize a person’s features. Combining all these influences, Raffy discovered the infinite possibilities that makeup offered. From natural minimalist to avant-garde looks, Raffy knew that makeup was indeed an art form that made an individual look striking in the ordinary world.

As they perfect their craft, Raffy leans towards accentuating and highlighting one’s features rather than covering up one’s imperfections. For Raffy, blemishes, moles, and scars are not flaws that should be covered—instead, they are features that should be celebrated. “I don’t really want to change someone’s appearance. I want to be able to show that there’s beauty in imperfection as well,” says Raffy. makeup may seem like a mere modification to the face, but Raffy believes that it has the power to emphasize the beauty that lies beneath the skin.

With plans of continuing their craft after graduation, Raffy aspires to live a life of spontaneity unbounded by the usual nine-to-five office jobs. As Raffy rises to become a professional makeup artist, the Art Management senior aims to celebrate each individual’s imperfections, advocating that makeup is an art form that uncovers the beauty of each individual.

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS THE HEART OF A PLAYWRIGHT

Mikaela Regis BY PATRICIA GABRIELLE RAMOS

People generally hold different truths. Just write what’s true and genuine for you.

THE ART of playwriting relies on witty dialogue and alluring characterization, but Mikaela Regis (5 AB LIT (Eng)) takes it to another level by incorporating powerful socio-political themes and stances through her stories. Mikaela’s plays are characterized by her compelling ideas, charismatic personas, and an advocacy to address different truths within society. Undoubtedly, Mikaela’s journey from being a casual performer to a dedicated playwright is nothing less than awe-inspiring. Finding purpose Back in high school, Mikaela spent most of her extracurricular time dancing, but she eventually found a knack for theater after playing a part in a production of Teatro Paulino—her high school theater club. Mikaela’s passion for theater deepened further during college after performing in her first major production under Ateneo ENterteynment para sa TAo, Bayan, LAnsangan, at DiyOs’ Ang Dapat Nating Hindiang Pagbabalik ng mga Arturo Uy. The play was an allegory to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the fascism of the Nazi era, revealing social injustices and power structures that that the AB Literature (English) Program Awardee found relevant even for today’s generation. “At that time, more than enjoying [theater], I saw the honor and privilege of doing it. Napakilala ako sa advocacy side ng teatro (I was introduced to the advocacy side of theater),” says the 2021 Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts in Creative Writing awardee. After taking classes and mentorship for creative writing, Mikaela found a deeper purpose in writing

plays as this was her medium to increase people’s socio-political awareness. Since realizing this purpose, Mikaela has written numerous plays, some of which were adapted into theater productions. One of her most recognized plays to date is Libingan ng Medyo Bayani, one of Mikaela’s first plays to be staged. The play follows a journalist meeting a child whose family was a victim of extrajudicial killings and aims to release frustrations on the current government. The production received recognition from several of Mikaela’s mentors and was featured in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Writing about and for the people With Mikaela writing more plays that hold heavy socio-political themes, she has grown sharper, more compassionate, and more attentive to the truths of people and the world. Moreover, it has made her more empathetic, as demonstrated by how the 2021 Mulry Award for Literary Excellence recipient is able to write some of the most charismatic and human personas. Mikaela ensures that each and every character she writes has grit and heart, and each narrative is an opportunity for her to get to know herself, the world, and others in a more meaningful way. “Theater is really for the people; it’s about people, and its outputs are also for the people,” she says. Over the course of the quarantine, Mikaela continues to develop her craft, pointing out how she’s become more critical and reflective of her past work now that she’s been given more free time. She’s also been more open to collaboration after joining two writing collectives during the quarantine—which led her to meet peers and discuss their theater experiences and different topics like the queer community.

With these experiences, Mikaela has become hungrier to work and to collaborate on plays. Fueled by her newfound motivation for writing, Mikaela hopes that her continued efforts will be able to reach and inspire more people in the theater and writing communities. However, what’s more important for Mikaela now is to write genuinely for herself. “People generally hold different truths. Just write what’s true and genuine for you,” she states wholeheartedly. Hoping to see more of her pieces staged, Mikaela plans to continue polishing her craft by consulting with literary practitioners and mentors while also conducting more research on literature and the performing arts. “My biggest fear is to not end up in theater at all. My entire college life has been in theater, so I really hope to continue that after college,” the 2021 Program Awardee for English says. With this end goal in mind, Mikaela’s mantra is as straightforward as it gets: To simply keep on writing. “At the end of the day, all stories are equally valuable and urgent. All stories must be heard. Just keep writing until the prime opportunity arrives when you’ll be able to share your story [to the world],” she says. Writing is no easy feat, but Mikaela stays unwavering through her words, and it’s only a matter of time until her stories uncover many other realities in society.

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS ARTIST BY BLOOD

Tamia Reodica BY EMERSON ENRIQUEZ

Pretty much anyone can be an artist when the things you create are able to capture what it is to be human, the pretty and ugly sides of it.

ON A regular day on campus, Tamia Reodica (4 AB COM) would be seen donning her Doc Marten loafers, signature poofy hair, and a digital camera in hand. However, this endearing, beatnik-esque façade is only the first layer to a young woman brimming with authenticity and potential. Beyond this façade is a writer, a photographer, and a musician who is an artist in every sense of the word. Sowing the seeds Growing up in a family that loves art, Tamia’s creativity was fostered alongside her academics ever since she was a child. Whether it be learning how to play the guitar or performing in musical theatre, Tamia’s family has always been supportive of her endeavors as an artist. Alongside her family, Tamia cites Taylor Swift and Joni Mitchell as major influences to her musical style and songwriting. She described their songs as honest and unapologetic—traits she aims to emanate in her own work. Simultaneously, this love for music reflected within the communication senior’s writing. From curating playlist suggestions for her high school publication’s Features section to the spontaneous song lyrics she jots down in her journal, Tamia’s affinity with music comes hand-in-hand with her love for writing. For her, writing and music have always been a means for her to creatively express herself. Through journaling, poetry, and even non-fiction accounts, Tamia was able to put her passion for music into words. These passions accompanied her into college as she joined organizations like the Ateneo Musician’s Pool, Heights Ateneo, and the Loyola Film Circle. Through these organizations and the people she met there, Tamia was able to develop her craft and fall deeper in love with writing and music.

“One thing I was looking for was people who liked the same stuff and those I can collaborate with,” says the 2021 Loyola Schools Awards for the Arts in Music awardee. Tamia’s experiences in her organizations serve as avenues that continually open herself to new learnings and opportunities. At her own pace Blossoming from her experiences in her organizations, Tamia eventually found an opportunity to seriously pursue music through a project called Grrl Cloud—her singer and songwriter persona. Inspired by her favorite artists, Grrl Cloud was Tamia’s way of preserving her adolescent memories. Whenever Tamia had a notable experience in her life, she immediately jotted down whatever lyrics came to mind. Soon enough, the project gained traction as Tamia was getting booked to perform at different gigs here and there. Eventually, Tamia got her biggest break by performing in the Rappler Live Jam, a Rappler-led initiative that features musical acts nationwide.

Although she has temporarily halted her music career, Tamia’s artistic flame still burns bright as creating art continues to motivate her. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tamia started trying different art forms like dabbling in crocheting and needle felting, volunteering to score videos for her organizations, and even continuing to play the guitar for leisure. “The pandemic has taken so much from us, I wouldn’t want it to take things that make me happy,” she says. Tamia also carries around a film camera with her, taking snapshots of everyday life at home. She believes that capturing the essence of humanity is an artform in itself, especially in this difficult time in history. “It’s important to still document this time. It’s an important time. Keeping a journal during this pandemic can help tell the story of how things are now,” says Tamia. As she continues to strive for growth, Tamia looks forward to learning more about film and photography in the “new normal,” particularly about holding photoshoots in a studio and creating stop-motion animations. Aside from learning new skills, Tamia also hopes to resume her music career as her heart remains with music. With all these aspirations, the 21year old stands by her mantra to “Just do it!”

Despite gaining ground as a singer, Tamia had to put Grrl Cloud on an indefinite hiatus as she was struggling with how she was being perceived by people. This was anchored in the reality that the music industry is heavily influenced by numbers and statistics, with the number of streams and gigs as the measurement of success. “It started to feel destructive,” Tamia says, “I don’t want to force [Grrl Cloud]. I want to let it come back to [me] if and when it does,” she adds.

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS CURTAIN CALL

Alex Sih BY PATRICIA GABRIELLE RAMOS

Theater speaks to people in a different way than other art forms.

MORE THAN just the acting and the performances, theater is brought to life by the extravagant culmination of lights, ambiance, stage setting, and sounds. After introducing a number of unforgettable productions, characters, and narratives on the theatrical stage, Alex Sih (4 AB IS) has proven to be a master of stage play productions. Having worked as a stage manager across Ateneo’s theater arts organizations, Alex has made her way through the ins and outs of theater which can be traced back even before her college years. A love for theater Alex first encountered theater during her junior year in high school when she decided to try out and join a production under Teatro Paulino after marveling at one of their shows. After working in stage management during her first theater production under stage management, Alex found genuine enjoyment. Motivated by how much fun she had from her high school theater experience, Alex found herself joining three performing arts organizations in college: Ateneo Blue Repertory (blueREP), Ateneo ENTABLADO (ENTA), and Tanghalang Ateneo (TA). She also found herself helping out with thesis productions of other students in the theater arts track. These opportunities allowed Alex to work with other like-minded students and even

theater professionals, fueling her passion for the craft and serving as an avenue for her to learn the craft first-hand.

To address these challenges, Alex has been researching ways to better set effective productions online and organizing workshops for her members.

More than just the performances themselves, Alex found herself more interested in stage management after seeing how much fun everyone had backstage during rehearsals and live plays. As a stage manager, Alex was responsible for keeping dry-runs in schedule and making sure that everything and everyone follows the script. “[Stage management] is usually considered as one of the hardest roles in theater, but for me it’s fulfilling because [I] really get to know the entire show,” shares Alex.

Despite the difficulties with the remote setup, Alex’s love and commitment for theater remains steady. For her, theater isn’t merely a platform for entertainment—it also serves as an effective avenue to increase a crowd’s awareness of societal issues. Most people would consider her promotional tactics to be flashy and gimmicky at times, but they ultimately share her productions’ underlying themes. Alex herself mentions how she’s learned a lot about different interdisciplinary topics and even social issues such as mental health just from doing research for different productions.

On and off the stage Being a part of numerous theater productions, Alex has cited blueREP’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie: The Musical as one of her most memorable shows to date. In this production, Alex was responsible for the unforgettable red fountain gimmick in the New Rizal Library—which received a multitude of positive feedback on social media. These unconventional promotions are what set Alex’s productions apart from other publicity tactics. “You would know it’s an Alex Sih production if there’s non-traditional promotional gimmicks done. My friends would say that there’s always a library gimmick or even vandalism involved [for my promotions],” Alex admits half-jokingly. Although Alex has produced a number of successful shows, she has encountered her fair share of challenges along the way, particularly in adapting to online theater productions. As blueREP’s Core Competencies Manager for Production, Alex and her team found it increasingly difficult to set up the lights and sounds in the online setting.

Ultimately, Alex is a prime example of how stage managers can shine in their own right by giving life to each production both on and off the stage. As a graduating senior, Alex hopes to continue contributing to her college theater orgs’ future shows, whether through stage management or through promotional work. Moreover, Alex is interested to venture into other forms of production such as concert management to utilize her college and organizational experiences. Although her love for theater is fueled by the alternate reality that it creates onstage, Alex’s purpose for doing theater is simple but heartfelt: To convey her production’s message to an audience. “My ultimate goal is just to contribute to the art form and to share the message of our productions,” she shares. Indeed, Alex has served the theater community by allowing the underlying themes and meanings of her productions to shine through via her creative and playful gimmicks.

ARTISTS & PERFORMERS THROUGH STEPS AND SCREENS

Rafa Villon BY EMERSON ENRIQUEZ

I want to tell the stories of people who can’t tell them.

A VERSATILE artist in his own right, Rafa Villon (4 BFA ID) is one of the few people who can edit a video, lead an organizational committee, and dance the house down in a single day. The dancer and videographer may have picked up his passions at different points in his life, but in anything he does, Rafa has always been dedicated to creating art that tells a story. Multi-faceted man When he first picked up a camera in grade school, Rafa became the first in his family to express any interest in a creative career. Seeing film as a mere hobby in the beginning, Rafa slowly developed a passion for the art after seeing its power in storytelling. With his newfound interest in videography, Rafa started learning more about the different technicalities and filming techniques through YouTube videos. As Rafa developed his skills, he started producing videos that shared his own personal experiences, as well as those of his family’s and friends’. In one particular project, Rafa co-produced a heartfelt short film called Memento (2016), which was inspired by his single mom. This experience served as a turning point in Rafa’s passion for videography as he realized how much power the medium of film had. “It stuck to me that [one] can tell such genuine stories and make [an audience] feel things [through videos],” shares the 2021 Program Awardee for Information Design and cum laude graduate. With his desire to continually tell stories through the camera lens, Rafa eventually established Fourth Degree Productions—a freelance videography company—together with some of his high school friends. The company started out by doing production gigs for their families as well as their high school

alma mater, but it has since expanded to cater to other clients. Most recently, Fourth Degree Productions filmed and produced a video featuring the Philippine Rowing Team.

“There’s also stress and burnout. There’s also insecurity [that others are doing better than you], [but at the end of the day,] making art makes me feel human. It makes me say, ‘I’m alive!’” Rafa shares.

Aside from videography, Rafa also developed a passion for dancing over the years. During his freshman year in college, the Information Design student initially signed up for the Documentation Committee of the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADs). However, after joining the dance audition on a whim, Rafa ended up in the Street Division instead. Despite the unexpected twist of events, Rafa took this as a sign to continue pursuing dance. Ultimately, dancing became his gateway into letting go of his insecurities and loving himself more, and moving to the music became his means of being more appreciative of his body.

Similarly, Rafa painted a very humble and relatable picture when asked about his favorite memory as a dancer. For him, dancing is not simply about winning competitions or being on-stage; rather, it is the candid moments he has with his team mates that ultimately gives him fulfillment. “It’s that time after training, and you’re with your teammates. You’re at one place [and] pagod [kayo] pero masaya [pa rin] (you’re tired but still happy) in each other’s company,” says the CADster.

With his passion for videography and dancing, Rafa’s versatility in both artforms helped enrich his perspective as an artist, leading to his creation of more holistic dance choreographies and video productions. Create and inspire No matter how packed or tiring his schedule might be, Rafa found immense fulfillment in being an artist, seeing it as his purpose in life. The CADster’s love for shooting videos and dancing has always been about how it connects him with his humanity. At the same time, art is also about the struggles that come with creating it.

As Rafa continues to grow as an artist, he plans to take a Master’s degree in Design and aspires to be a Hollywood-level special effects film artist. Aside from these, Rafa also plans to contribute and provide support for non-profit organizations through his skills in design. Ultimately, his goal is to show the stories and the plight of the marginalized people so that their voices can be heard by society. Despite the uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the spunky and decorated Information Design senior maintains his desire for storytelling, which is encapsulated in his life mantra: “Create and inspire.” Throughout his life, those three simple words serve as a reminder for him to keep creating art and to keep inspiring people with the narratives he shares. Rafa sees this as an obligation of sorts, stating that as humans, we actually have a responsibility to tell stories. “It doesn’t matter what form [art] takes, it’s just there to make you feel something,” says Rafa.

Jacob Amorado Taking the leap

Kendrick Diaz Carrying it along

Jubert Calamba For the people

Jason Lombos Treading lightly

Aaron Chua A safe space

Jorel Ong One last self-discovery

NARRATIVES TAKING THE LEAP

Jacob Amorado BY SHAWN NAGRAMPA

Sometimes, you just got to take that leap of faith.

MANY STUDENTS enter college with expectations of finding themselves and their paths in life. However, others often find that their first choice—whether the course or school—does not provide the happiness or fulfillment they expected. Jacob Amorado (4 BS LM) was a third year student in his previous college when he realized that he no longer found fulfillment in his course. He decided to take the leap of faith by transferring to Ateneo de Manila University, in the hopes of finding a sense of happiness, fulfillment, and belongingness. A clean slate Coming from high school, Jacob held high expectations for college. He applied to several universities, including Ateneo, but ultimately decided to study in De La Salle University (DLSU) because of its accountancy program and to fulfill his dream of becoming a certified public accountant and lawyer. During his stay in DLSU, Jacob first tasted independence, gained many friends, and learned holistically. He even became an aspirant for the De La Salle Brothers, an organization dedicated to helping the underprivileged by providing them with the tools for education. Despite the good experiences he gained in DLSU, Jacob remained unhappy. “It was an internal conflict. I felt that I was not happy with the program I was in, and I didn’t want to shift to another course within [DLSU] because it felt like I wanted a new slate and a change of environment,” he shares. During his third year in

DLSU, Jacob began to search for pre-law programs offered in other universities. Eventually, he came across Ateneo’s Legal Management program and saw that it combined two subjects that he enjoys: Law and business. It piqued his interest, leading him to seek more information about the program and Ateneo. When Jacob set foot on campus, he realized Ateneo was where he needed to be as he thought: “I would be happier here.” Soon after, Jacob submitted his transfer application to the Ateneo and received an acceptance letter. He shares that while it was a difficult decision to make, he felt excited to start anew and have a second chance at college. A home in Ateneo After his four years in Ateneo, Jacob found happiness with his new environment, the people he met, his course, and the University Dormitory. According to him, BS LM was unlike other schools’ pre-law programs that focused on preparing students solely for law school. For Jacob, BS LM was unique—it prepared students for both law school and business. The academic load, although more demanding to him, molded him into a better student since he felt that Ateneo’s calming atmosphere was a more conducive environment for academics. Jacob also felt that he belonged to Ateneo through the friends he made as a dormer and as a member of the Ateneo Resident Students Association (ARSA). “These are the people you see every day. The people you go

home to literally and the first faces you see when you wake up,” he states. “I learned to interact with diverse people with different backgrounds. I learned that community is important, and we need to take care of the people around us.” Being part of ARSA, Jacob found that he became a more mature person. He states that being older than most of his batchmates allowed him to handle interactions and conflicts with other people more maturely and control his emotions better. “Before I used to let my emotions get in the way of what I was trying to convey, but, because of the people I met and Ateneo’s culture, I’ve learned to control and think of the things I need to say before saying them.” Looking back Transferring to Ateneo is a decision that Jacob does not regret. He picked up the new slate he was searching for and had an experience that he will never forget. “When you are a transferee, your schedule is irregular. You are not with your block, so sometimes you need to talk to different people and make friends because sometimes you get lost. I learned not to be shy with others and to meet new people,” he shares. As he wraps up his college years, Jacob hopes that students in the future will not be afraid to change their path in their life if they feel dissatisfied with where they stand. “Don’t be afraid to make a difficult choice,” Jacob asserts. “Go where you think you will be happier. Don’t be afraid to go into a new environment and [do] something different.”

NARRATIVES FOR THE PEOPLE

Jubert Calamba BY JUSTIN GINETE

This year was difficult. Despite this, we persevere. We continue to serve our sectors through different initiatives.

A CHANCE to study in one of the country’s most prestigious universities is a privilege that many Ateneans seem to take for granted. With a sizable amount of the student population being recipients of scholarships of varying degrees, someone has to voice out their concerns, now more than ever. As the president of Ateneo’s scholars’ organization Ateneo Gabay and the leading representative of the Scholar’s sector, Jubert Calamba (4 AB MEC) has dedicated himself to serving scholars like him. Scholarly start Jubert is no stranger to the challenges of maintaining his status as a scholar. He was a recipient of the Tulong Dunong (TD) scholarship, a program in Ateneo High School that aims to give scholarships to deserving public elementary school students in Marikina. Transitioning from a public elementary school in Marikina to Ateneo High School had its own fair share of challenges. The biggest challenge for Jubert’s life as a scholar has been adjusting to the new environment. “The major thing is [the] lifestyle. As someone who grew up in a public school setting, andaming stuff na sikat or uso sa public school pero weird sa AHS (there are things that are popular in the public schools that are considered weird in the AHS),” the Management Economics Program Awardee and cum laude graduate shares shares. Despite adjusting throughout high school, he still harbored apprehensions with studying in the Loyola Schools. “I did not like the idea of studying in the Ateneo because I thought that it was a school for the ‘rich people’ and that I will never be able to feel

at home here,” he says. However, the Ateneo Gabay members changed his perspective, providing him with a community where he can be himself. Serving his fellow scholars Ateneo Gabay fueled Jubert’s fire to serve his fellow scholars. “I was a freshie then and I was not close to my block and I didn’t have a circle of friends yet,” Jubert shares. Under the impression that scholars were required to join Gabay, he eventually formed bonds with several of its members and spent his free time hanging out in the Gabay organization room. After each Gabay project he involved himself in, Jubert found himself increasingly wanting to lead the organization he now considers home. His involvement in the organization and the relationships he formed drove him to take on the challenge. Once he became president of Ateneo Gabay in 2020, his leadership skills were immediately put to the test when the One Big Strike (OBS) petition materialized in the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses. Amid social media posts that cited the sector as a major reason to reject the position, as they had the most to lose, Jubert gave a firm and decisive stance on the situation that spoke for every affected scholar. The sector voted “yes” to the Sanggunian’s endorsement of the OBS petition. Calamba believed that a lot of changes needed to be made for the petition to become more realistic. The vote, however, came from a consensus that following the typhoon’s destructive effects, something out of the ordinary must be done. “I was just trying to understand the thought process of Atenean scholars. I tried to

discern why we got in this situation in the first place and I wrote my stance based on that,” Jubert recounts. To this day, he is adamant that he has made the right decision for the sector. “I feel like it’s time for the Ateneo to hear things outside of its echo chamber,” he shares. The next step Thankfully, he has learned a thing or two from his stint as the Gabay President to guide him in his journey of service. The ability to be discerning and understanding are Jubert’s most important takeaways. “People, nowadays, tend to be harsh and judgemental. Sometimes, you just have to take a break and reevaluate things before coming up with a course of action,” he shares. These values, for him, are the most important to make everyone understand each other better. While Jubert is unsure of what he wants to do in the future, he confirms that he is ready to keep on fighting for this newfound direction. “Right now, I want to work in the government. I want to directly contribute to nation-building,” he shares. Jubert adds that he wants to continue to give a voice to those who are underrepresented. With this, Jubert remains steadfast in his belief that the scholar’s community is worth fighting for. “The diversity of scholars. Their stories. Sobrang lawak, sobrang magkakaiba, (their stories are so broad and so different)” he shares. No matter what happens he has left his mark on the sector. It’s about time we listen to their stories.

NARRATIVES A SAFE SPACE

Aaron Chua BY RAPHAEL C. DELA CRUZ

No matter how hard you plan about the future, some things will always go wrong.

ENTERING COLLEGE is an exciting yet anxiety-inducing experience for many freshmen. The Ateneo experience is often defined by adrenaline, worry, and pursuit of clarity; from the famous Orientation Seminar to the everyday bustle of going to and from class, it’s the inbetween moments that make college life worth exploring. Aaron Brian Chua (4 BS MGT) had all these experiences and more upon starting his college journey. Diagnosed with Spina bifida—a condition that affects the connection between the spine and the spinal cord— and now using a wheelchair, Aaron found that much of his college life would still revolve around his course, friends, and orgmates. New obstacles Making new friends was one of the challenges that Aaron faced at the onset of his freshman year. Growing up in one school from elementary to high school, Aaron was used to seeing the same people for over a decade. “We were only less than 100 in my batch back in high school so I can say that we really got to know each other,” he shares. “Then, all of a sudden, I met different kinds of people in college.” It was in Ateneo that Aaron learned how many different kinds of people he would meet. Aside from fostering new relationships, Aaron had to face the challenge of accessibility on campus and beyond. Uneven ramps within the University may have been a minor hindrance to Aaron, but the difficulty of maneuvering through infrastructures outside campus hindered him from making new friends.

More than ease of access, however, would be the major issue of his future career and security. “With my medical condition and the accessibility issues for Persons with Disability in the Philippines, I realized that working for an office job would be quite difficult,” he shares. This is what prompted Aaron to pursue a degree in management; through this, Aaron hopes to fulfill the goal to set up his own business where he could manage his own time and find pleasure in knowing that friends and family enjoy his products. A welcome space Although there were times when adjustments had to be made because of his condition—from classroom logistics to alternative class activities—Aaron’s overall sentiment on the Ateneo community is extremely positive because he never felt as though he was being spoon fed. If anything, Aaron appreciated the community’s efforts in letting him be “just like anyone else in the class.” “I think that is one of the dreams of people like me,” he explains. “We do not need pity. We need chances to prove that we can also contribute something to society.” Aaron is most grateful to fellow students who will selflessly offer him a helping hand. He reminisces how strangers would often approach him to ask if he needed help up the ramps when the floor was wet. While Aaron may not remember their names, he is thankful for each person. “They made me realize that in the world full of evilness and cruelty, there are still a lot of people who are willing to choose kindness even without personal benefits,” he muses.

Embracing the present It is with this same realization that Aaron reflects on one of his personal highlights: His time in the Ateneo Management Association (AMA). “Joining AMA has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in college,” he expounds. “Since I was a freshie, this org has provided me a safe space to grow and make mistakes.” Spending four years in the organization did more than sharpen Aaron’s managerial skills; it also emphasized the importance of fostering meaningful connections with the people around him. Aaron would go as far to share that his most memorable experience with AMA was not project-based, rather the amount of time he spent with his orgmates at the John Gokongwei Student Enterprise Center. “We may [have] been doing our own stuff, but just knowing that I am not alone helped me so much,” he reflects. “I did not expect, just like my fellow seniors, that we will never spend our breaks there anymore.” The pandemic may have taken away many people’s chance at a deserving conclusion to their Ateneo story, but Aaron finds solace in the years that he did get to spend on-site. It inspires the most important piece of advice he would impart to fellow graduates: To appreciate each fleeting moment that makes one’s existence possible. “We are never sure of what will happen tomorrow, next week, or next month. What we are only sure of is now,” he concludes. “With that, I encourage everyone to cherish the present.”

NARRATIVES CARRYING IT ALONG

Kendrick Diaz BY SHAWN NAGRAMPA

If not now, then when?

STARTING A small business is never easy, and the journey to success comes with its fair share of hurdles. Despite this, many aspiring entrepreneurs move to bring their businesses to new heights through hard work and motivation.

gain a firsthand experience of entrepreneurship. “[There is a] saying, ‘The best way to learn things is through experience,’ and we fully believe in that,” Kamille shares.

Although he entered college with the initial intention to learn more about entrepreneurship, Kendrick Diaz (4 BS MGT) was unafraid to start his own business venture while still in college. He delved into founding his own company with the help of his partner and blockmate Kamille Santos (4 BS MGT). As a young student entrepreneur, Kendrick’s successful foray into the business world is nothing short of impressive.

After several exchanges of business ideas, Kendrick and Kamille conceptualized a duffle bag with a shoe compartment. “I noticed that when people travel, they don’t have space to place their shoes. They usually place their shoes in the luggage, and it would sometimes deform the shoes,” shares Kendrick. This idea became the foundation of the company they own today: VAULV.

A dream turned into reality At a young age, Kendrick was exposed to business because both of his parents are businesspeople. This exposure drove him to follow their footsteps and realize his dream to build a start-up company. “It’s always been a dream of mine to start something from scratch, at least,” Kendrick shares.

Full-time student-entrepreneur VAULV’s Facebook page has now amassed 4,000 followers, and its products have been sold in many partner stores. The products have also been endorsed by many public figures such as Kiefer Ravena and Big Boy Cheng. However, bringing VAULV to where it stands today was no easy feat for the young entrepreneurs as they had to balance being full-time students at the same time.

Kendrick was always one to receive support from his family—even in his academics—but he would usually not receive high marks. This led him to develop a mindset that success was meant for those who are academically bright. However, Kendrick eventually sought to prove to others and himself that grades do not define success. According to Kendrick, even with average marks, he can still achieve a bright future. He used this as a motivator to finally pursue his dream of building a start-up. In January 2019, Kendrick approached Kamille, to join him in creating a new business. Despite only being in college, the pair pushed through with the venture to

One of Kendrick’s responsibilities was monitoring stocks at various partner store locations, as well as restocking said stores whenever these ran low on VAULV products. This meant storming through heavy traffic and working with the time he had left to fulfill his academic duties. Kendrick would also attend bazaars and pop-up events to sell VAULV products to the public, which also took time away from his studies.

increasing its reach. His dream to become successful is a driving force that empowers him to invest time and effort into building his business. “Whenever challenges come our way, I would always remember myself as a kid, dreaming of that success in the future,” reminisces Kendrick. While in the pursuit of success, Kendrick finds fuel in the support he garners from famous public figures who reach out to collaborate with VAULV. He shares feeling elated to the point of disbelief that his hard work with Kamille has succeeded in bringing VAULV to a point where renowned clients would initiate collaborations. “Because of those experiences, it motivates me to keep pushing. We will never know how far this can bring us,” Kendrick comments. A bright future Looking on, Kendrick hopes to explore other ventures that will allow him to become financially independent and secure by the time he retires. Moreover, Kendrick looks forward to a bright future for VAULV—that someday, it can serve as an inspiration for other young entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and passions, just as he did in 2019. “Now we can always look back on [VAULV] and hopefully share with other people, to inspire young people to chase after their dreams, do whatever they want to do, to never give up, and always to remember their passions so they can reach their goals in life.”

Despite these hurdles, Kendrick remained firm to continue building VAULV and overcome the trials he faced, such as bringing awareness to the brand and

NARRATIVES TREADING LIGHTLY

Jason Lombos BY MARGAUX ARCINAS

I’m almost there. The moment I get through these four years, that’s a pretty significant milestone—at least to me.

Content warning: This article contains mentions of self-harm. MENTAL HEALTH is a difficult topic to discuss with anyone. The journey is unique for each person, often compounded by other external difficulties that require different levels of attention. For Jason Lombos (4 BS MGT), who was diagnosed with type 2 Bipolar disorder, he strives to improve day by day and graduate from a course he has dedicated the past four years to. A false start Prior to his diagnosis, Jason described his mental state as “hell” because he experienced mood swings and sudden moments of depression. “There were times when it was really a struggle to get out of bed. Just doing work, like I’d have such an irregular sleep and working cycle [...] I’d nap at 6:00 PM, then as soon as I get home I’d sleep. The next day at 12:00 AM I’d wake up to work until my first class,” he said. Aside from his irregular schedule, Jason also doubted the course he was taking. Although Jason had no set plan when he was applying for college, he envisioned a sound future and minimal risk taking. BS Management was exactly that course to him, as it was versatile and had many different paths to offer after graduating. Although studying business was not particularly exciting for Jason, he continued to push through as his goal was to find a stable job afterwards. This did not bode well for Jason, however, as he did not have much passion for the course. Eventually, he started actively avoiding anything related to the course, delaying any work related to it to the last minute. At one point, he walked out of an exam because he could not answer anything.

Running the track With unimproved emotions due to numerous factors such as academics, Jason was diagnosed in 2019 after he was brought to a hospital for a self-harm incident. This was difficult for his family, but Jason shares that they never failed to show him love and support— even after being discharged, where he needed to undergo additional therapy sessions and begin taking prescribed medication. After his hospitalization and diagnosis, Jason was finally able to work towards accepting his condition. “For the longest time I knew that there was something wrong. There was something deeply wrong in my head, but I just couldn’t pinpoint what it was,” he says. Through his diagnosis, he was able to understand many of his mood swings and thoughts, as well as focus on healing and recovery. Soon, Jason began taking medication and additional therapy sessions, to which his response was hopeful.“Maybe like through the therapy and like the medication, I was able to push myself to be better than what I previously was,” he shares. In addition to his therapy, student organizations played a key role in helping him cope with academic stress better. Joining organizations such as the Ateneo Special Education Society, The GUIDON, and AGILA allowed him to do the work he enjoys such as writing, advocating for animal care and adoption, and focusing on the special needs sector. “Honestly, if I didn’t have the arts that I have, it would have been really rough

because it would just be business things all the time. And I really don’t like that,” says Jason. Jason’s organizations not only strike a balance between his academics and passions, they also serve as a way for him to improve his work ethic. He was able to improve his college experiences despite the recurrent low moments he would experience. Despite all these external and internal struggles during his time in Management, he was determined to graduate. Homestretch Coping with a mental illness is no easy battle. Jason had kept a lot of his emotions hidden and packed away prior to his diagnosis, but he is now discovering how to address his condition healthily. Despite the urge to shift out of his course, Jason kept going, determined to finish what he started. “I’m almost there and graduating management is my milestone because of the determination I had,” he adds. Being diagnosed was also Jason’s new beginning as he was finally facing his own thoughts and fears– learning to choose to take care of himself. Because of this, he has actively begun the journey to better himself and improve his mental health. “I’ve learned to ask for help and I’m a lot calmer,” he says. After four long years for Jason, he is glad to finally be graduating this 2021.

NARRATIVES ONE LAST SELF-DISCOVERY

Jorel Ong BY MARGAUX ARCINAS

That feeling of being lost, it’s only temporary, because you have to be lost in order to find something.

PLANS AND goals can change and there is nothing wrong with that. Stepping into college can be daunting given all the new opportunities made available, yet some may find fear in navigating a new environment. A prime example of successfully exploring that there are many great things to achieve beyond one’s comfort zone is Jorel Ong (4 BS PSY). Jorel may have entered college with plans to continue contributing to Blue Babble Battalion (Babble). However, circumstances with online learning have led to a deeper selfdiscovery—and for Jorel, that means exploring ways to express his love for music. The certainty of it all As someone who has been a member of the Blue Babble Battalion high school team, it was only fitting that Jorel pursued joining Babble again once he entered the Loyola Schools. For Jorel, it was a simple matter of remaining in the same social circle, having a set routine for the next four years, and enjoying his time in Babble. “I didn’t have plans to join orgs or anything, because Babble, it was like the highlight for me. That was enough to make my college life very memorable,” he shares. While he was content with his time in Babble at first, Jorel felt that he wanted to go beyond his comfort zone. He tried joining TUGON Ateneo and playing basketball for the Intramurals Athletic Council, but eventually being a student athlete took too much of his free time. Despite convincing himself that he was satisfied with his Babble routine, the COVID-19 pandemic took a huge

toll on his college plan. Prior to the pandemic, Jorel’s routine consisted of campus training with Babble and attending games at the Araneta Coliseum, all of which are now no longer possible. “I felt this isn’t the entire college experience I wanted for myself,” he says. Because of this, Jorel started searching for ways to cope and express emotions that he often kept to himself. He began planning how to improve his college experience in the confines of his own home. Soon enough, he realized that music was the perfect avenue for him to express himself and decided to turn this hobby into a career. Forming a new path While some people may find making music daunting, Jorel is no stranger to letting his voice be heard. Being a part of Babble meant cheering along the aisles or on the side of the court for Team Ateneo and encouraging the audience to join. However, this was not without Jorel’s fair share of self-doubts, especially when faced with public expectation. The first time Jorel performed for Team Ateneo, he admitted that it was not his best performance. “I was shy, and I was quiet, so I didn’t really do speeches and I was uncomfortable, performing in front of people interacting with others also,” he shares. With the confidence he has built over the years through Babble, Jorel remained humble and open to criticism towards his performances from his teammates and coach. Such moments of uncertainty are what Jorel considers his worst performances, but eventually, he began to believe in himself and noticed improvements through time. Moreso, he learned to embrace this confidence

and believes that it showed in his quality of work as he transitioned to his musical career. “The confidence I gained from Babble really helped in my music because when you’re in Babble, you have to be confident in speaking to people, you have to be confident in connecting and also performing,” says Jorel. By April 2020, he started posting his original works on SoundCloud, all recorded at home. His song Ivana captured the public’s attention, naming him one of Monster RX 93.1’s newest artists to watch for in January 2021. Forging a path For Jorel, releasing music has become his way of expressing himself and keeping himself in check during the pandemic. He shares that while there were times when people enjoyed the songs he released, there were others when certain songs just didn’t appeal to the public as he had hoped. Nonetheless, Jorel finds strength in failure; it is his reason to persevere. “You have to accept defeat in order to move on and to improve on whatever you’re doing,” he says. As he continues to pursue his musical career, Jorel shares that one of his favorite works, Loyola Hill, is about Ateneo. He considers it as his way of giving back to the University, for it encapsulates his whole Ateneo experience from elementary to college. “If I had the chance to speak to first year me, I’d tell him to explore and open up your mind to possibilities,” he says. For now, Jorel has decided to continue releasing music on Spotify and begin with a new plan: To improve his music and keep his mind open to new opportunities that may come his way.

Dr. Nikki Carsi Cruz A balancing act

Norman Tanchingco Building a community of learners

Dr. Jayeel Cornelio, PhD Knowing your place

Aaron Vicencio Surpassing the classroom

Jason Haw Health and education

Tala Wong Compassion through innovation

MENTORS A BALANCING ACT

Dr. Nikki Carsi Cruz BY‌‌ZOE‌‌ANDIN‌ ‌

IS thinking allowed me to integrate all aspects of my life in a synergistic fashion.

MANY ATENEANS spend their college days exploring various fields, even those outside their degrees. Whether it’s through a double major, a minor or specialization, or organization work, Atenean education can sometimes feel limitless. Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) and Humanities (HUM) majors are no different, taking up at least two concentrations as part of their coursework. Thus, learning to balance becomes a key skill—exemplified by none other than Nikki Carsi Cruz, PhD, assistant professor and the newest Chairperson of the Interdisciplinary Studies Department. Wearing many hats Carsi Cruz has been teaching in Ateneo since 2012 and has taught elective courses such as Contemporary Issues: Non-violence, Youth Leadership for Engaged Citizenship, and History and Environmental Practices in Southeast Asia. She has been a mentor for Introduction to Interdisciplinary Approaches, and Senior Seminar I & II. Before joining the IS Department, Carsi Cruz taught at De La Salle University, her alma mater where she majored in European Studies. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Peace and Development Studies from Universitat Jaume I in Castellon, Spain, and a doctorate in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore. Her doctoral dissertation is an analysis on contemporary Moro-Moro dances in the Philippines, which soon became her springboard to pursue more interdisciplinary work. Aside from her teaching load, Carsi Cruz is the Chairman of the Rizal Library Board and the editor of the Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia journal. For Carsi Cruz, her background makes her adaptable in any and all her engagements.

“Having an interdisciplinary mind allows me to see connections in everything I do. What I teach, the roles I play, in and out of my home, are all connected in a synergistic fashion,” she shares. IS and HUM majors find this same principle instilled in them. As often misunderstood degrees, Carsi Cruz has her own definition of what the IS and Humanities programs are: A combination and integration of two or more disciplines to solve complex problems. Students and faculty are encouraged to learn to see interconnections between fields and understand intersectionality in all things. “The greatest gift of IS training is to see the unity of all spheres of our lives, the unity of means and ends, the unity of forms of knowledge we wield in school and at home,” says Carsi Cruz. Sailing rocky seas Carsi Cruz’s chairship came at the same time as the first online academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What she and fellow IS faculty members thought the Department needed was a student organization of its own to help guide operations better. Coincidentally, senior students of Batch 2021 had stepped in to inform her of their intent to establish the Interdisciplinary Studies Association, which now operates as the IS Department’s student arm. “This batch will always be memorable to me because we all migrated to online learning together in the same flagship. I was steering the wheel with this batch of students helping me navigate my way through uncharted territory,” praises Carsi Cruz. Even after the academic year, she hopes to continue strengthening the collaboration between the IS and HUM students and the Department faculty and staff.

Online learning design has also been a huge part of Carsi Cruz’s personal life as a mother of three young children. As she watches and monitors their experience of online learning, she shares that she is able to evaluate and apply that to her own teaching modules. To Carsi Cruz, this is the value that IS learning and teaching bring: An inclination to see how interconnected everything is, from practical experience to theoretical knowledge. Carsi Cruz believes that the endless potential of the programs and the adaptability of its teachings makes its students flexible in their paths. Some students take on the IS and HUM programs because they feel directionless and lost. The IS Department continues to open its doors to them in hopes for its graduates to be able to do anything they set their hearts to. Carsi Cruz said as much when she applied for permanent residency in the Department. “Whenever I encountered confused or disappointed students who, like me, had just experienced having doors closed on them, I embraced the chance to provide them with the kind of empowering encouragement I received from my own mentors so that they could find their way back to being in touch with their own giftedness.”

MENTORS KNOWING YOUR PLACE

Dr. Jayeel Cornelio, PhD BY RAPHAEL C. DELA CRUZ

As much as I liked teaching, something had to give and it was teaching that gave.

THE IDEA of leaving the Philippines to pursue greater heights is not uncommon, especially for Development Studies (DS) Program Director Jayeel Cornelio, PhD. However, his passion for research and academia has brought him around the world, where he interacted with some of the brightest minds in sociology. While Cornelio’s scholarly passion for research and sociology piqued his interest in Western academia and led him to study abroad, the Philippines still called to him. “There I was, a Philippine sociologist, globally relevant and locally useless,” he muses. “Pag mahal mo yung bayan, mahal mo yung bayan.” (If you love your country, you just love it.) So, with some prodding from his mentors, Filomeno Aguilar and Leland Dela Cruz, Cornelio returned to Ateneo in 2014 after his post-doctorates. Teach away With research and the academe playing a large role in his decisions, Cornelio always knew he wanted to be a teacher. In fact, he started his career in education as an English teacher for his high school in 2003 before pursuing his post-undergraduate studies abroad. Since then, he has been the Director of the University’s DS Program for the past six years, teaching intermittently throughout his term. Unfortunately, it was not as easy as it sounded. Confronted with three major responsibilities, Cornelio had to contemplate on what he wanted to focus his efforts on: research, teaching, and his directorship. “It was difficult in my first year as director,” he shares. “As much as I liked it, I had to give up teaching to get used to [my directorship] and I got research grants to focus on writing.”

This dilemma of having to choose between passions is one that Filipino scholars often confront. “One of the lessons for scholars who study abroad and come back here is they have to make this brutal decision, parang what do you want to be?” Cornelio says. Indeed, becoming a researcher, an administrator, a writer, or a scholar all take their own toll on a person. Cornelio shares the sentiment and expounds on it, saying, “You can try to balance, but really there is no such thing as balance.” In stride Although he no longer finds himself in a classroom, Cornelio has found ways to continue contributing to the growth of students by further expanding and improving the program. Cornelio has implemented an overhaul of the curriculum to further develop the theory and research fields of the DS program and created new perspectives through new minor programs. Before the end of his term, he aims to accomplish his final goal of creating a Masters program for DS. More than just developing the program, however, Cornelio and the DS faculty understand the importance of connecting with their students. “We are a party going department,” Cornelio shares. “We would make up any reason to pull off a party with students and professors.” He goes on to explain that there was even a tambayan for students in the program office,

which allowed for an organic relationship between the faculty and the students to develop. Lockdown measures and online learning turned that organic relationship in over its head—at least initially. Cornelio shares that there was a mismatch between what professors and students were expecting of each other. Since then, DS has worked on reimagining the digital curriculum to be more reactionary to student needs. Reflexivity Cornelio’s dedication to improving people’s quality of life reflects the beating heart of reflexivity within his department. As his students describe him as someone who embodies the concept of reflexivity, or understanding one’s position in the world, Cornelio shares that this ability is perhaps the most important takeaway one could learn in DS. “I am aware that I am a middle class privileged Filipino academic,” he muses. “Being reflexive [means] being embedded in environments you’re not part of.” This intrinsic empathy ties to Cornelio’s challenge for all Ateneans: To use one’s position of privilege and influence not only for oneself, but for the entire world. Acknowledging the “brokenness of relationships, systems and how politics is run,” Cornelio insists that now is not the time to shirk one’s responsibilities in shaping society. The new normal will not be any better than it was before—and so the responsibility of enacting change lies on the shoulders of graduates setting out to the world. “To whom much is given, much is expected,” Cornelio imparts as a final reminder. “Make a difference, rightly. Otherwise, what point is there?”

MENTORS HEALTH AND EDUCATION

Jason Haw BY RAPHAEL C. DELA CRUZ

My role aside from being a teacher is as someone to look at who took an alternative career in medicine.

MANY FILIPINOS dream of dedicating themselves to diagnosing illnesses, treating injuries, and saving lives. While many may aspire for the profession, few are able to push through both social and educational barriers that stand in the way of becoming a doctor in the Philippines. However, most people who fall short of the ambition fail to realize that there are other avenues to accomplish the same goals. Jason Haw is someone who found his purpose by contributing to public health without being a medical professional. He wants to become a symbol for students that a career in public health is a viable opportunity in the Philippines. Haw currently serves as the coordinator of the Health and Development minor of the Development Studies program and an instructor for the Health Sciences program. Through these roles, he has made it his goal to help bolster not only the ranks of Filipino doctors, but the ranks of the public health sector as a whole. One and the other Haw’s endeavor into the public health sector began when he graduated from the University’s Health Sciences program in 2014. A year later, he returned to the University to assist and teach Health Sciences classes. After finishing his graduate degree in Georgetown University four years after, Haw went on to become a full-time instructor in Ateneo. Becoming a teacher was always something Haw saw himself doing; It aligned

perfectly with his goal to bring more people into medicine and public health. Back in college, Haw used to do tutoring on the side and actively participated in teaching programs such as Pathways Review Center and Alay ni Ignacio. “Teaching is something I have always wanted to do since I was young,” he says. In contrast, Haw’s foray into public health research was something he never thought could be a possible career path. Haw attended medical school for a year after graduating from Ateneo, but ultimately decided not to finish it because he did not see himself going into purely clinical practice. Afterwards, Haw decided to explore his possibilities in the public health sector. His first experience in the sector involved managing a research portfolio under the Department of Health (DOH). It was in DOH that Haw learned he enjoyed the work that came with being a consultant for public health research. “[My experience with the DOH] showed that there were a lot of things for us to do in terms of research in public health,” he shares. Presence of mind As a public health expert and instructor in Ateneo, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly became a focal point for Haw. From providing consultative services for the public health sector to recalibrating his online teaching practices, Haw had to adjust quickly to the status quo. Haw’s research experience on epidemiologic surveillance and global health was so extensive that he had already effectively adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic before lockdown measures began in March 2020. Despite preparing a syllabus for his Global Health and Innovations class of the semester, Haw

decided to forego his plans and discuss COVID-19 instead. “I felt like it was something that I needed to tell my students about—more than any lesson that I had planned for the semester,” he says. Unfortunately, Haw’s lecture on COVID-19 would become the last discussion his class would have before lockdown protocols were implemented. “It was a foreshadowing of what was to come, and I hope I was able to give [my students] some perspective,” Haw says. Driven by passion Haw’s approach to teaching comes from a place of compassion, driven by the dedication to impart as much as he can to his students. In one notable instance, Haw once approached the Office of the Registrar to allow 10 more students into one of his classes that already had 99 students. On other occasions, Haw will open his lines to advise students on a variety of concerns, from managing class conflicts to handling a minor. “[Batch 2021] is particularly interesting to me because the interest in public health is pleasantly surprising,” he says, noting a sudden global interest in public health that could possibly be tied to the pandemic. “I appreciate the graduating batch with their perseverance in making online learning work. They’re probably stronger than they think, and I hope they carry that strength in the future.” While COVID-19 may prove to be a hurdle for the Philippines, one can rest assured that people like Jason Haw exist—tireless in their selfless work and boundless in their hope for the future.

MENTORS BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS

Norman Tanchingco BY JUSTIN GINETE

At the end [of the day], it’s still you, it’s your life. It’s your work, And I’m just here to be able to guide you through it.

THERE’S SOMETHING really special about forming a mentor-mentee relationship with a teacher. From John Keating in Dead Poets Society (1989) to Mr. Anderson in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), a good mentor plays a key role in the development of any individual— and Norman Tanchingco hopes to be that person. Commonly known as Sir Oman, Tanchingco has been teaching marketing courses for nearly 11 years now and is loved by many of his students for his engaging lectures. While the shift to online learning has challenged his traditional teaching philosophies, he remains committed to the legacy he hopes to leave behind: Cultivating a community of learners, regardless of the setting. Leaving a mark Like many of his students from the School of Management, Tanchingco was indecisive about his career path when he was about to graduate. Two years into medical school, he decided to drop out and pursue advertising instead. His love for service eventually pushed him towards teaching. According to him, the goal has always been to expand his reach and give back to the world; teaching would allow him to accomplish that. Tanchingco’s core teaching philosophy is that there is always much to learn beyond reading books; lived experience drives his lessons. “You can’t isolate one subject from all the rest of the world. It has to be connected, and that’s my role [as a teacher],” he shares. As a marketing professor, Tanchingco strives to connect with all of his students and aims to leave a legacy for each student he interacts with. To do this, he draws from his experiences with his own teachers in the past. “I might not remember all of my teachers, but

there’s one memory of every teacher that I have. And I think that [those memories have] formed me [into] who I am now,” he reminisces. Tanchingco’s simple hope is that students can do good within their immediate communities and exponentially expand on that goodness from thereon. With a pay-it-forward mentality, Tanchingco trusts that learning will continue to grow even past his own time. This mentality begins within the four walls of the classroom. For Tanchingco, there is so much more to teaching than reading a book. The importance of real-world experience is what drives his lessons.“I think that’s why I tried to put in as much of my experiences and the experiences of the people around me,” he shares. It’s in this passing on of knowledge gained from different stories of various people, where students learn the most. Tanchingco would consider himself as a success if his students were able to achieve what he could not physically achieve in his lifetime. Of course, there is more to Tanchingco’s teaching philosophy than telling the same stories over and over again; he views himself as a coach. “I can guide you. I can give you a roadmap of things or tell you these are the proper things that should be doing or that, but at the end of the day, kayo yung naglalaro (you guys are the ones playing.)” he shares.

graduating in a world full of uncertainty and chaos, Tanchingco believes that the students hold the responsibility to make the world a better place. He challenges the batch to look at their diplomas and ask themselves what they can do to make a difference in people’s lives. “You were educated to be leaders,” Tanchingco says. “Because of what’s happening now, there’s so much to be done. Go and really make this world a better place.” He circles back to one of Ateneo’s beloved mantras: Magis, which means ‘more’ or ‘greater.’ With the world rife in instability due to the pandemic and the current political climate, Tanchingco believes that magis is relevant now, more than ever. “But always think of this, find the good in everything that you see, find God in everything and choose the more loving option,” he shares. In this time of crisis, a comforting thought for Tanchingco is the knowledge of the Ateneo community being there for him no matter what. He hopes to be there for his students, and he wants them to know that there is this like-minded community that every Atenean can always go home to. For Tanchingco, one of the most prominent characteristics of the University is that it is filled with people that will reassure students that they are doing just fine. Moving forward, he hopes to continue building that community—such that Ateneans are formed holistically to engage in nation-building.

Going beyond No matter how good a coach a teacher can be, applying these classroom lessons to real world experiences is a whole different challenge. With the Class of 2021

MENTORS SURPASSING THE CLASSROOM

Aaron Vicencio BY ISAIAH LIMPIN

How do you value your process? How do you want your vision to be shared by others as well?

THE LIFE of a college student is intertwined with everything that comes with college: Lessons, peers, and professors. Students learn within the boundaries of the classroom, but the opportunity to encompass what is contained within a syllabus is rarer than often thought of. Although college professors lead a busy life, some still go out of their way to encourage growth for their students however they can outside of academic matters. A mentor to both communication majors and student organizations, Communication Professor Aaron Vicencio is a prime example of a mentor who stays present and helps his students grow beyond the classroom. Leading up Since his junior year studying psychology in Ateneo, Vicencio has been freelancing in photography. During this time, he experienced many triumphs, from meeting stars like Kobe Bryant to documenting the stories of friends and family. Struggles were there as well; photography posed many challenges due to the strenuous nature of his work. No matter how big or small, his experiences as a freelance photographer remain equally significant to his journey as a storyteller, showing how he values his duty as a photographer to convey meaningful stories. After much discernment, he decided to take a different career path that led to a Master’s Program in Geography. This eventually led to being a coordinator in the Asian Center for Journalism in 2014 and

an offer to teach Visual Communication under the Communication Department. Fast forward to the present, he is currently the Eugenio Lopez Jr. Center for Multimedia Communication Executive Director, the moderator of the Ateneo Association of Communication Majors (ACOMM), and a full-time professor. Approach to mentoring Having been part of The GUIDON and the Company of Ateneo Dancers, Vicencio is no stranger to the Atenean org scene. Aside from being ACOMM moderator, he acts as a photojournalism consultant for The GUIDON. “Yung everyday stuff, I trust the orgs enough, I trust the people enough na you know what you’re doing,” he says, reflecting on how he approaches his relationships with organizations. “So if and when the organization, let’s say, the org president or an editor comes forward na ‘Sir we have a concern, can we bring it up to you,’ alam ko na na may nangyari (I already know something happened).” Treating students as adults is a focal point for Vicencio’s mentoring process. To him, accountability is important. “One thing that I’ve found doing to both [ACOMM and The GUIDON] is that I treat each one as an adult. That’s my main thing: you’re adults so I talk to you like an adult,” he explains. Vicencio expounds that students must be accountable for their actions and the consequences that may follow, and that it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as students learn from it. Aside from assisting organizations, Vicencio makes sure to nurture the talent he witnesses from students, going as far as referring them to clients and projects

that fit their skills. He recounts a particular experience he had with a former student of his, Nikki Bonuel, who had previously worked on a project concerning gender, as well as a project Dove had with GirlGaze. “When I saw the call for photos, I messaged Nikki and said, ‘Nikki, why don’t you apply?’ She applied. She got it,” he says. “I find that sometimes it’s just me giving the push to try, and maybe that’s all that it takes.” Vision for students What drives Vicencio’s professional approach towards students is the current generation’s natural talent, especially in photography. On valuing one’s process and sharing one’s vision, he quotes Behavioral Geographer Reg Golledge. He says, “You don’t need to have sight to have vision.” His critiquing process in class and his approach to student-led work outside of the classroom serve as attempts to help students find direction for their vision. These ground his stay in the academe. There is a hunger for mentorship with the current generation, Vicencio notes. Because of this, he shows a deep concern for helping with personal development in mind—arguably the most important thing that students can learn from him. Much like his mentoring approach to students, there is a need to support one another as graduates of Batch 2021. He leaves students with his hope for the Atenean community: “My vision, not for the campus but for the community, is that we learn, that we care more for each other.”

MENTORS COMPASSION THROUGH INNOVATION

Tala Wong BY ISAIAH LIMPIN

Though the trappings of teaching may be different, the core of teaching remains the same: To capture the student’s imagination.

IT’S NOT a surprise that learning history can be quite challenging. When it comes to the subject, students have to remember specific names, dates, and other various details on top of making sense out of everything they absorb. History Professor Tala Wong circumvents students’ lack of motivation to power through the learning process by translating the subject into the language of the current generation. Humble beginnings Wong did not envision herself in the academe or any specific career prior to teaching in the Ateneo. When she was offered a position to teach history, she was unsure whether the path was fit for her. Despite her introversion, Wong decided to challenge herself by taking the offer and started a career as a college professor. “Nearly 10 years later, I’m still here,” she reflects. Although teaching was never Wong’s intended car eer path, history has always been part of her interests as her father encouraged it through shows like Monty Python’s Flying Circus and books such as The Royal Diaries. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature, she pursued and completed a Master’s Degree in History. Explaining the similarity between her two fields of study, Wong shares,“[English Literature and History] are both about stories—the people in them, and the people who write and read them.” Now, as a professor, her primary goal is to share knowledge of history or at least foster an appreciation for the subject. Innovating for better learning Nurturing students and their appreciation for any subject is not an easy task, let alone a detail-oriented

one such as history. Wong accomplishes this by employing creative approaches to teaching. When she started teaching in 2012, she was one of the few professors who integrated pop culture into her lectures through memes. Now, memes have become increasingly common for lectures among professors. “Memes are a visual shorthand to communicate an idea, so they’re excellent teaching tools. Plus, they’re absurd,” she says. “Absurdity is good for the mind, and you tend to remember things more when they’re strange.” Upon transitioning to the online setting, Wong decided to incorporate an unconventional method of delivering her already innovative lectures: Podcasts. She invested in audio equipment, researched extensively on subject matter, wrote her own scripts, and even used lo-fi background music as a moodsetter to create her podcast lectures. “With podcasts, you get the same learning and teacher presence, but you’re able to go through the material at your own speed. You also don’t have to be glued to your screen for a set period of time every other day; you can learn while working out or having merienda,” Wong explains. An act of love and service “The work of teaching does not end when we go home, or when classes are done. There’s still the grading, answering work and student emails, sometimes even serving as a makeshift guidance counselor for students,” Wong explains. Despite the current

struggles of being a college professor, compassion stays consistent for Wong’s approach to teaching. From trying to make history more enjoyable to providing a better online learning experience, she goes out of her way to relate to her students and feel for them. Teaching is an act of love and service for Wong. Beyond innovating her lectures, she values the well-being of her students. She recognizes the struggles that students have when completing online requirements, so, to her, the ideal professor in the current setting is someone who cares enough to cater to these struggles. “We are choosing to be compassionate in an extraordinary time when compassion is of the utmost importance.” This exemplification of concern is what students can carry with them after taking her class. She encourages students to show their appreciation, especially to teachers, “Guys, if you really enjoyed a teacher’s class, thank them! Some of us are one bad day away from quitting.” Despite the conditions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, professors exert much of their efforts into creating better learning environments for their students; it is only apt that they receive the same level of compassion they give their students. During a time like the present, compassion for each other is what is needed, and Wong is certainly an example to follow.

Ateneo DReAM Team Service in action

Leland Dela Cruz Matter and form(ations)

Department Secretaries

Vice President for the Loyola Schools Maria Luz Vilches, PhD

University President Roberto C. Yap, SJ

STAFF & ADMINISTRATION SERVICE IN ACTION

Ateneo DReAM Team BY BRYCE R. RUBI

It’s really a service to the communities from whom we have learned so much also, and who have allowed us to be part of their lives, their journeys.

IN TIMES of crisis, a community’s sense of unity is often put to the test. Through a strong passion and commitment to servant leadership, the Ateneo Disaster Response and Management (DReAM) Team has been working tirelessly to channel resources and help victims of crises for over a decade. The country has had a long history of facing terrifying typhoons and similar disasters, and the Ateneo community is well known for helping out in such crises. Although the team is known for its operations during Typhoon Ondoy in 2009, it has mobilized for almost every major typhoon or crisis to hit the country since then. Other instances include the Taal Volcano eruption in 2020, as well as when a massive fire razed thousands of homes in Jolo, Sulu. Recently, the team has been working to provide medical supplies, food, and personal protective equipment to frontliners and affected communities. In times of crises The DReAM team draws its roots back to 2004, when Tropical Depression Winnie—a particularly deadly storm—devastated areas in Visayas and Luzon with heavy rains. Miriam Delos Santos, who was Office of Student Activities (OSA) director at the time, shares that the team was known then as Task Force Noah— and its efforts started out as a student-led initiative. The Loyola Mountaineers, having been closely involved with one of the communities heavily affected by the storm, collected donations and organized relief operations for the affected communities. The team eventually combined their efforts with the Office of Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI), the Tanging Yaman Foundation, and the Jesuits’ social

involvement arm the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB). Though Task Force Noah was decentralized and new to operations, Delos Santos explains that it was quite fluid—students worked with OSA to package relief goods and publicize the call for volunteers and donations. On the other hand, OSCI visited and monitored the communities while the SLB engaged key stakeholders, providing solutions to logistical hurdles that the team faced.

For longtime DReAM team volunteer Stephanie Ann Puen, mugh through is put into assigning volunteers to roles that not only maximize their skills, but also ensure that they see the value in their work. “[It’s a] very holistic [and] systemic… ‘How are all of these stakeholders related and how can we help all of them’ kind of thinking,” Puen says. “Often it was like whatever works … to help bring relief to the communities, we’ll do it.”

The following years brought no shortage of typhoons. The task force would convene and organize relief efforts that would increasingly grow in scale each time. These efforts came to a head when Typhoon Ondoy hit the Philippines in 2009, a tropical storm that brought about major destruction to various communities.

Overcoming challenges Over the years, the team has geared its operations towards finding new ways to help communities creatively, Puen explains. “Fr. Manoling, for example, would buy [vegetables] from farmers, ‘yung na nahirapan with their crops because of the storm or pandemic, tapos isasama sa ayuda or ibibenta at a cheaper price,” Puen explains.

Beyond barriers Due to the sheer damage caused by the storm, it dawned on the team that the communities needed more than relief goods. To accomplish this, the DReAM Team was born, formally consolidating efforts under the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation to ensure that the communities benefited from longterm rehabilitation efforts. Ever since the team began operations, the Ateneo community was generous and participative in relief efforts, as aid and support poured in from different Ateneo campuses nationwide. Delos Santos shares feeling touched when they received donations even from children, who shouldered portions of their allowance to donate. “You’re really just overwhelmed with peoples’ generosity, kind-heartedness [and] sense of service and mission,” she continues.

(Fr. Manoling, for example, would buy [vegetables] from farmers who’ve had a hard time with their crops because of storms or the pandemic. These would be included in relief goods or sold at cheaper prices.) Despite the pandemic, Puen continues to volunteer for the team when she can. As a teacher, she found it meaningful seeing that Ateneo’s teachings have brought the community together to help those in need. “You know someone’s going to eat this rice that you’re putting together. You know someone’s going to use the clothes and water. In Ateneo, we’re taught all of these values which are often very abstract, … but being able to just work in the line, and actually talk to people makes it really tangible,” she says.

STAFF & ADMINISTRATION MATTER AND FORM(ATIONS)

Leland Dela Cruz BY MATTHEW G. YUCHING

Companionship means that first, you have to be where the student is, or where the groups are.

ATENEO HAS always prided itself with its holistic student formations. However, few students normally get to know, or see, the person in charge of Ateneo’s formations program. In 2019, Leland Dela Cruz became the Associate Dean for Student Formations (ADSF) and took up the job of overseeing the different formation programs for students in the Loyola Schools and bridging the gap between them and the administration. “We provide them with experiences, and we journey with them through those experiences,” he shares. An eye for detail Working in student development is nothing unfamiliar to Dela Cruz, having been the Director of the Development Studies Program from 1999 to 2014 and the Office of Social Concern and Involvement Director from 2013 to 2019. However, with the special circumstances brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of forming the Atenean had to be approached differently. Project cancellations and safety measures were put in place on student organization activities in light of the January 2020 Taal Volcano eruption, but the pandemic expanded plans to other University offices in the Formations Cluster. Anticipating the class suspension meant that Dela Cruz and the cluster braced for the worst. Upon the implementation of the Metro Manila-wide lockdown, their offices were equipped to move activities to an online platform. Developing the student formation program has never been more intensive despite the distance between students. Amid the pandemic and lockdown, Dela Cruz and the Formations Cluster offices found ways to

make sure that their formation in Ateneo was not compromised. “[The] peg for the cluster is that we see ourselves as an oasis for our students,” Dela Cruz explains. He credits the leadership of the different Office Directors under his cluster in helping him drive the changes needed to adapt the National Service Training Program and Praxis programs online. Because students are unable to meet each other in person, Dela Cruz stresses the importance of community, and making sure that students feel that community. His cluster offers that space to create these communities. “So at the least, [although] you don’t know what to do, parang be there for each other, ano?” he shares. Creating an online Ateneo In an effort to create spaces for the students, particularly the freshmen, Dela Cruz’s office primarily relies on feedback from the Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Traditions program’s classes to gauge their sentiment towards online learning. He also created the Loyola Schools Online Learning Community Facebook group in response to the need for additional insight from students and faculty. Since then, the group has grown into a platform for students and teachers to freely course feedback on different processes and systems within the University. “It’s a platform, where everyone can simply exchange ideas about what works, what doesn’t work,” Dela Cruz says. As the ADSF, Dela Cruz was made to think critically and creatively during the height of One Big Strike, a student protest born out of grievances with the government’s

handling of Super Typhoon Rolly last November 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. He made strides to ensure that both the administration and students were on the same page, as he saw that they held a common ground despite differences in approach. The discussions held following the initial protest resulted in the release of a joint statement he organized with the petitioners and other sectoral representatives last November 2020. Dela Cruz shares that the administration continues to meet with the Sanggunian, considering that they are the student-elected body. “We presume that whatever the Sanggunian says, is what the students say,” he explains. The future of formation With the input and feedback gathered from the larger community, it is clear that there is room for innovation in Atenean formation. “[A] lot of it is really rethinking, redesigning, and tweaking,” Dela Cruz remarks, specifically on the continued role of formations moving to the next academic year. “[How] can we do this better, so students will feel welcome into the community?” Dela Cruz says that to accomplish this, freshmen must take the initiative to make friends, whereas the faculty must strive to translate their classes into online modules. He is hopeful that after two semesters of adjustment, the faculty is better prepared to ensure their students’ well being. While we can only see Ateneo through photos and videos on our screens, Dela Cruz, along with the different Formations Cluster offices, is prepared to provide constant companionship in student’s journeys in the University, whether at home or on campus.

STAFF & ADMINISTRATION STRENGTH IN HUMILITY

The ones

Department and Program Secretaries Congratulations on your accomplishments and we wish you [the] best in the future. Your hard work and dedication have finally paid off despite the crisis we’ve encountered in this new normal. Again, congrats Batch 2021! Best wishes as you continue your journey!

Ruby Rizza Mandafe Program Secretary, BS Legal Management, BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship, BS Management, and BS Management-Honors

Nawa’y magsilbing lakas ang mga karanasang dulot sa atin ng pandemya. Huwag tayo magpapatinag sa kahinaan at hamon nang walang katiyakan. Tumayo, magsalita at lumaban tayo nang may pagmamahal at takot sa Diyos.

Time flies, and I remember when you were all sophomores, requesting to adjust your individual programs of study. Now you are all done with all your academic requirements. A big applause and hugs to all of you! You worked hard for it and you did it well! Congratulations on your graduation and all the best for your next chapter! Advance Happy Graduation Day! Fritzi-Gay “Peachie” L. Reyes Department Secretary, Department of Quantitative Methods and Information Technology

Remember all our good times shared and continue to learn from all [our] hard work. Look ahead with hearts full of promises and dreams to be fulfilled. May God keep you all as you go through it.

(May our experiences caused by the pandemic serve as a form of strength. Do not be shaken by weakness and uncertainty. Let us take a stand, speak out, and fight with love and fear of the Lord.) Roxan B. Cuacoy Department Secretary, Department of Fine Arts

Monina Margarita R. Valderas Office Manager, Health Sciences Program

Dear Batch 2021,

Dear senior math majors,

It’s sad to see you leave but it’s good to see you are all prepared for the next phase of your life. Congratulations and happy farewell. May you all be successful! All the best!

Congratulations! Finally, [all the] hardships and sacrifices you went through [are paying off. Just keep dreaming and [they] will definitely come true! Stay healthy and keep safe. Ate Edith

Maritess C. Carlos Department Secretary, Department of Communication

Editha V. Bagtas Department Secretary, Department of Mathematics

STAFF & ADMINISTRATION

who helped us Congratulations to Batch 2021! Thank you for all the happy memories we have shared even in a short period of time. I pray that you will continue to soar high as you journey through life. Good luck in everything that you do, and remember that we are always here for you. God bless you all!

Maligayang pagtatapos sa Batch 2021! Una sa lahat, maraming salamat sa magagandang alala na napagsaluhan natin kahit na sa maikling panahon lamang. Ipinagdarasal ko na maipagpatuloy niyo ang pag-abot sa inyong mga pangarap sa pagtahak sa panibagong yugto ng inyong buhay. Nawa’y biyayaan kayo ng magandang kapalaran sa lahat ng inyong mga naisin at gawain. At palagi niyong tatandaan na kami ay laging nadirito para sa inyo. Pagpalain nawa kayo ng Poong Maykapal!

Maria Melissa M. Reyes Program Secretary, AB Development Studies

Pagbati sa inyong pagtatapos! Handa na kayo ngayong lumipad at isabuhay ang turo ni Ignacio. Sa inyong paglipad, huwag kalilimutang tumingin sa ibaba. Mapagod man sa paglipad, narito lang ang tahanan ng asul na agila, laging bukas para sa inyo. Laging gawin ang tama. Hangad namin ang inyong tagumpay. Mahal namin kayo. OBF! (Congratulations on your graduation! You are now prepared to fly and live out the teachings of Ignatius. In your flight, never forget to look below you. When you are exhausted from flying, the home of the Blue Eagle is here, always open for you. Always do the right thing. Your success is our pride. We love you. OBF!)

Allan A. De Vera Department Secretary, Kagawaran ng Filipino

Congratulations, Batch 2021! It’s amazing that you did it even though we are in uncertain situations. We didn’t have the chance to see you and say goodbye, but we are all silently cheering for your academic achievement. :) All the best as you go forth on the next stage of your life—the outside world. Go where your heart leads you. Word hard but have fun. Always be humble. You’ve been given the gift of the Ateneo education—share it and use it to influence and inspire others. Always remember the values and principles taught by the university. Good luck and God bless you all!

Ghing Lopez Department Secretary, Leadership & Strategy

STAFF & ADMINISTRATION

Maria Luz Vilches, PhD

STAFF & ADMINISTRATION

Roberto C. Yap, SJ