St. Theresa’s College: 75 years of polishing diamonds in the rough
Often as a journalist, I am asked how can I be so calm and composed even when the worst things in life happen right in front of my eyes? Despite the temptations, how can I say no to bribes and remain committed to the truth? I always say; “I learned them as a kid, from my second home, St. Theresa’s.”
Fellow Theresian and ABS-CBN colleague Korina Sanchez would also proudly answer, “because of St. Theresa’s” whenever she was asked how she can be fluent in both, English and Filipino.
Right at the heart of D. Tuazon in Quezon City, lies St. Theresa’s College (STC) -- a place where nurturing students to unleash their fullest potential is just one of the best things they do. They educate young minds, they encourage souls, they excite life, and most important, they bring fire to hearts. A fire that inspires one to always be of service to others.
“Be a blessing to those in need,especially the underprivileged,” the sisters and teachers in my second home would always say.
This year, we celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of my alma matter. Guided by the teachings and values of our patron saint, St. Teresa of Avila, STC -- since its founding in 1947–has become a home committed to producing Christians who uphold the standards of excellence, leadership, and nationhood.
As our Directress Emeritus, Sr. Josefina F. Nebres, ICM wrote in STC’s 75th anniversary commemorative book, the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (ICM) who run STC, have succeeded in keeping their mission alive: “The Theresian formation program put together many decades ago has been successful. I find joy in seeing our girls develop into women of faith and seekers of truth. They leave STC armed with a strong sense of mission and a keen awareness of the environment and current events. Their hearts are open to the poor and genuinely respond to their needs…They are self-directed and compassionate, life-giving in their relationships. They are nation-builders in their own individual ways.”
With the inspiration of ICM foundress Mother Marie Louise De Meester, my alma mater has quietly continued to produce astounding women who make an impact on the different fields of society.
As further stated by Sr. Jo, “We, in ICM, say our goal is ‘Education for leadership and service that is strongly missionary in character.’ Our core values arefaith, love, peace, social responsibility, simplicity, service-oriented, compassion, and care for the integrity of creation.”
As I have experienced myself, STC doesn’t just mold children through their formative years. Rather, STC takes students on a life-defining journey, through what then becomes uniquely transformative years.
For 11 years, I spent my prep until high school in STC. I was molded to be the young girl who is humble yet courageous, simple yet full of integrity, and steadfast and faithful to the Lord. As a student, there were times when I complained about the tremendous amount of schoolwork we were given which was greater than the workload in other schools. But little did I know that I was being prepared for something that would be much bigger than school — LIFE.
I now credit that rigorous academic training — the very same kind my daughters are now receiving — for my strong work ethic, drive for excellence, and never-say-die attitude. I’m confident these values will serve my girls well, as they had definitely helped me in going the extra mile in the service of our kababayans through my work as an anchor and broadcast journalist, and as head of ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Bata 163.
My love for writing, involvement in social issues, and passion for service came from St. Theresa’s. My stint as editor-in-chief of our school newsmagazine, “The Theresian,” back in 1986 started my career as a journalist.
But apart from me, STC has produced its own roaring lineup of notable Theresian journalists and writers like Maria Ronson, Chit Roces-Santos, Chay Hofileña, Patricia Evangelista of Rappler, Anna Ruth Cabal from CNN Philippines, press freedom icon Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, Thelma Sioson-San Juan and Nikko Dizon from The Inquirer, Mel Tiangco from GMA, and Korina Sanchez from ABS-CBN.
We owe it to our educators who encouraged us to write, hone our craft, and awaken our eyes and mind on important social issues.
Some of STC’s alumni were invited to write about their experiences as Theresians for the school’s diamond jubileecommemorative book. One story that I found hilarious was that of Shayne Sarte’s, now one of our famous cinematographers in the country. In her write-up, Shayne narrated the time she left her P.E. shoes at home in grade 3, and how her teacher didn’t allow her to call back home for someone to bring her shoes to school:
“So there I was in P.E. class—in my white t-shirt, blue shorts and black Gregg shoes. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Being the class president, I was mortified. And I promised myself, for the rest of my academic life, this would not happen again.”
That one unforgettable moment changed her whole life in a positive way.
“To this day in my adult life, I also made sure, I would not sleep until I have prepared my clothes, organized my things and went over my checklist for the next day. It has been life-changing in a positive way.
"My work as a cinematographer would involve meticulous preparation and proper selection of equipment and technical requirements. If there’s anything forgotten, overlooked or unprepared for the actual filming day, it would translate to time and money wasted, and it would oftentimes feel disconcerting. Just as how I felt during that fateful day in Grade 3.
"That experience at a young age and the way Ms. Mariano, my teachers and the Sisters at STC had instilled discipline in me have definitely gone a long way.”
It may seem like a little thing, but really, it is true when they say that it’s the little things that matter. Every word said was a lesson, and every lesson was made to bring impact on our lives.
We were taught to use these lessons to transform lives, just as what our directress, Dr. Ma.Teresa C. Bayle, has shared:
“The transformative education that Theresians receive from STC should find its way in their effort to transform systems, values, and mindset, towards a change in a materialistic lifestyle that continues to creep into the fiber of our being, forcing more created wants than needs which continue to hurt the environment.
"We hope to produce more Theresians who will be bold to decide and make a stand todo something more for others and society.”
Theresa’s College QC Diamond Jubilee Year (video produced by ShayneSarte)
Alumna China Gabriel also echoed this in her article. “From founding youth-led nonprofits for social change, becoming small business owners of sustainable, low-impact lifestyle brands, to coming together as women speaking out against misogyny and advocating for safe spaces, Theresians have been outspoken and involved, and believe in things bigger than themselves. Times may change but the most important values crucial to a young woman’s formation remain the same whatever Theresians’ chosen path may be—the values in the song of Mother Foundress and in St. Teresa of Avila’s life story: great courage, deep love, and a strong sense of mission.”
The quality of education and the formidable culture of instilling proper values are the reasons why there are more amazing women from St. Theresa’s who have excelled in various fields, namely, former Health Secretary Dr. Chit Reodica, former PCSO Chairman Margie Juico, former Marinduque Rep. Josephine Sato, former FEU President Lydia Echauz, triathlete Joyet Jopson, award-winning writer Norma Olizon, food advocate Nancy Reyes-Lumen, artistic director & conductor of the UP Concert Chorus Jai Aracama, UP Assistant Professor in Historical Musicology Pat Silvestre, artist Kankan Ramos, prima ballerina Liza Macuja-Elizalde, and award-winning cinematographer Shayne Sarte.
On STC’s diamond year, reliving the happiest moments and even the embarrassing ones were a joy to recall. We surely had different memories, but we are connected by one home that developed us for countless possibilities.
When young students enter school, they know little of why they are there, and what school is for. That’s why having the right educators in the right environment are important in the formative years of children.
As time goes by and as they grow in the hallowed halls of school, when they begin to question things, I believe that is when they start to become hungry for more answers and reasons of life. No matter how simple and innocent their questions might be, we should be ready for the right answers.
To end, allow me to quote from the article Korina wrote:
“According to Google, the five steps in mining diamonds are crushing, screening, scrubbing, concentration and collection. I felt all those, figuratively, in over a decade of formation in school. Hopefully, St. Theresa’s, with its well-crafted curriculum, continues to ensure that the diamond in the rough it believes exists in each student it welcomes every schoolyear is revealed, although each diamond isn’t the exact same one as the next.
"Every time I gather with classmates, it becomes clearer to me that, after high school in adulthood, it has been up to us to determine our value with our own cut, color, clarity, carat. Not everyone could be a concert pianist, a Miss Universe, a business tycoon, a literary star, a prima ballerina. Not all jewelryis for public viewing. There are those who are medical front-liners, teachers, stay-at-home mothers, social workers, clerks, real estate brokers who are diamonds within their worlds. I have no doubt that the most brilliant among them are Theresians.”
