name plate

name plates finally arrived today after almost a whole semester of waiting. walking proud down the hallways. chest out, left shoulder more forward than the right haha. bright red name plates scream BIOLOGY STUDENT.

bio interview

we interviewed our Biology Lab professor last September 23, 2010. It was a requirement for English class that we interview a successful UST College of Science alumni. Right before sitting down for the interview, my friend Raffy injected some humor by standing unusually close to this bamboo trunk and then loudly identifying its nodes and internodes. Our bio prof was definitely impressed XD.
our group submitted our interview article today. we could have done with a better title and better conclusion. but we got sleepy. here it is:

“Heart and Mind in Unison”

The University of Santo Tomas’s College of Science is one of the most revered colleges in the university. It focuses in molding the students to be competent and competitive scientists by giving importance to academics and, at the same time, in teaching Christian values to its students. The College of Science has produced many successful people in the past and it will continue this crowning legacy in the future. Assistant Professor Ms. Mary Ann Santos is one of these people. Yet, what does it really mean to be successful? As current Biology students, we thought that the best way to answer this question was through an organized dissection of Ms. Santos’ experiences as a student and a professional, and her own perspective on what it means to be successful.

A slight breeze quietly brushed the leaves of the trees as we settled on one of the unoccupied picnic tables by the UST Botanical Garden. Our Bio101 Lab class has just ended and Ms. Mary Ann Santos was eager to begin the interview. With a loose plaid polo and hair tied loosely behind her, Ms. Santos sat before us calmly and with a smile on her face. We began by asking about her family and her life as a College of Science student. The youngest in her family, she pursued her professional dream by entrusting herself to a Thomasian education, much like her five elder siblings. Her family’s loyalty to UST was a great influence in her academic choices. Her experiences in UST are not so different from the experiences of other students. Her favorite subject was Biochemistry while her least favorite were Calculus and Physical Chemistry. She was a diligent student who regularly went to the library to read in advance. However, she made sure to always allot time for her friends. In no time, she graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology then continued her Masteral Degree in the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

During the interview, Ms. Santos never ceased to be teacher. She gently reminded us that based on her experience, a good study habit is critical to academic success, “Diba yung sinasabi ko sa inyo, skim through your notes weeks before the test. If I do otherwise, I have mental block. Some people have excellent memory. Pero ako, I don’t have that.” Ms. Santos has been teaching at UST for almost twenty-one years. Another proof of the Santos family loyalty to UST is that this is Ms. Santos’ first teaching job. She really enjoys teaching despite the heavy workload. We asked Ms. Santos why she did not pursue Medicine instead. She gave a short pause and answered sincerely, “Because I didn’t want to face people with problems every day.”Being a professor can be difficult, she says, because a teacher has the responsibility of teaching beyond the lessons, “We worry about our students. We want to be sure that when you graduate, you can stand on your own.” Yet, teaching also has its rewards. When asked what she meant by rewards, she replied, “Yung simple pleasures lang…like when I see students understand what I’m saying, specifically when they get high scores on their exams.” As she said this, there was an undeniable glow from Ms. Santos’ face.

They say that success is the glowing apex of one’s life. Ms. Santos found happiness in teaching, and for her, this is success. We asked her for advice since we still have years of schooling ahead of us. Ms. Santos focused on the deeper meaning of learning, “You look at learning and understand that it can happen in many ways…reading and talking…not just listening to the teacher. Learning must not be confined in the classroom.” Learning can happen anywhere. We asked her why she enjoyed teaching so much. She replied, “Because you can influence a lot of people by being a teacher…ang reach mo malawak.” She then continued, “It’s the feeling of accomplishment after every class, every test paper corrected…my growth as a teacher comes from the growth of my own students.” This relationship with her students manifests in the ease with which we conversed with her.

When randomly asked about what other job she would like to pursue besides teaching, she answered, “You want to make a difference. Siguro, ano lang, fantasy job na lang…like National Geographic photographer.” She laughed at this and we discussed how both a professor and a
photographer are successful because both contribute to society. As we neared the end of the interview, our perception of Ms. Santos changed. Her unassuming simplicity, her mild manner and tone of voice, masks layers of commendable accomplishments. Ms. Mary Ann Santos is admirably successful. She is not only academically competent but also dedicated to her teaching profession. She is a true Thomasian because she adheres to the values of UST by making a difference in the world, one classroom at a time. She is a true scientist because she never gave up until she accomplished her aspirations in life. She is a well-respected professor and a worthy role model. She is every bit of these. She is one of a kind.