2011 UST SOCC LTS: Faith, Hope, Love

UST Main Building

Being a leader is a continuous learning process – this is what I learned in the 2011 UST Student Organizations Coordinating Council (SOCC) Leadership Training Seminar held at Caleruega Retreat Center, Nasugbu, Batangas last May 25-27,2011.

The three day seminar was composed of talks focused on the theme “Tria Haec: Faith, Hope, and Love” which are believed to be the soul of Thomasian leadership.  The event had several speakers, among them were Ms.Erica Bolanos who was a working student and a student leader in her college days in UST talked about Faith, the importance of prayer, and how God’s grace builds upon the senses.

The second talk came from Dr. Clarence Batan, a professor from the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, who shared his viewpoint on the second cardinal virtue of Hope. In his talk, he shared how leaders should have the right motivation for leadership, not just the awards and recognitions one could get from it. I found this very true since there are at times projects that are better seen in the portfolio than in the actual event itself. As leaders, we should strive to come up with projects that are true of their essence, stripped from hypocrisies.

Caleruega Retreat Center

At the near end of  Dr. Batan’s speech, he gave us statistics on the poverty level in the country and the widening gap between the rich and the poor. With us having the most comfortable lives in our homes, it seems that the harsh reality of poverty, hunger, and other social issues are not evident. In the end of his speech, he urged us, Thomasian student leaders, to turn our hopes for a better future into actions, taking a more proactive stance in making a difference.

Dr. Batan recently released a song titled as “Bahay na Bato” which he sang live with so much passion after the talk. I found it very moving because of the lyrics that feature the release of a family from the shackles of poverty. I would feature this song as part of my pro-poor campaign soon.

The last cardinal virtue of “Love” was discussed by Mr.Daniel Cruz who shared that we must always act out of love, loving not only the people we serve but also those random people we meet every day as no work of kindness is wasted. It may not always be reciprocated, but it is never wasted.

The last talk came from Dr. Sherwin Agravio, an alumnus from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and a member of Power of One Foundation, Inc. In his talk, he shared how Thomasian leadership must play a bigger role in our society, changing the usual stereotype for UST graduates as being passive, thus better placed in “support” groups, to the leaders they are just as, if not more than, capable of. 

 He also said about how the Office for Student Affairs is already doing its best to reach out and develop the leader in every student confined within the walls of the university. The SOCC in coordination with several alumni is also planning to release an official leadership manual to further develop the Thomasian leader identity this coming year as one of their projects. 

Dr. Agravio also gave us some workshops on brainstorming and leadership assessment that are very helpful in our future role as leaders in our respective organizations. His talk was very concrete as they are very easy to apply and follow.

This SOCC LTS was good venue to build linkages and future project collaborations with the other organizations. I got to meet interesting people from different faculties and colleges with diverse backgrounds. This also inspired me to do better as a student leader, making use of my time, effort, and talents in truthfully serving for our organization members, college, and the University.

To the new SOCC Executive Board, congratulations and I wish you the best of luck for the coming year!

Tria Haec photo from here

Caleruega photo from www.meetmeatsunset.wordpress.com