I confess - I wasn’t planning to attend today’s University Service Awards (I actually skipped it on my 5th year). Somehow, being recognized for tenure didn’t seem too important to me. I wondered – shouldn’t we be recognizing people’s performance rather than tenure? Except that there were so many in the Psych department and CORD who were awardees this year – I felt guilty, so I went.
Being with the more than 250 hundred awardees, felt like I was among kindred spirits. I resonated with some of Dean Rudy Ang’s sharing about how he had only planned to teach in Ateneo for 2 years – only to find himself still there 25 years later. He talked about how he dreamed of being extraordinary and how he sometimes has a tinge of regret when he looks at his batch mates and see what they have become and how much they earn. Until he realized, that extraordinary people are also those who respond to God’s call to do ordinary things - extraordinarily. Indeed, one cannot help at be awed by people like Fr. Bu (50 years) and Mr. Pagsanghan (60 years) who have dedicated their lives to teaching.
This is the longest I’ve been in any organization. Sure, I’ve thought of leaving a couple of time because of frustration or tempting offers. But I am still here. Not just because I love what I do, but because of the company. Maybe that’s why events like these are important. They remind us that we journey with people who inspire us, challenge us, support us, console us and make us feel that we are not alone.
Being with the more than 250 hundred awardees, felt like I was among kindred spirits. I resonated with some of Dean Rudy Ang’s sharing about how he had only planned to teach in Ateneo for 2 years – only to find himself still there 25 years later. He talked about how he dreamed of being extraordinary and how he sometimes has a tinge of regret when he looks at his batch mates and see what they have become and how much they earn. Until he realized, that extraordinary people are also those who respond to God’s call to do ordinary things - extraordinarily. Indeed, one cannot help at be awed by people like Fr. Bu (50 years) and Mr. Pagsanghan (60 years) who have dedicated their lives to teaching.
This is the longest I’ve been in any organization. Sure, I’ve thought of leaving a couple of time because of frustration or tempting offers. But I am still here. Not just because I love what I do, but because of the company. Maybe that’s why events like these are important. They remind us that we journey with people who inspire us, challenge us, support us, console us and make us feel that we are not alone.