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2015 AGSB Student Leadership Conference

November 25, 2015

October 24 to 25, 2015 – AGSB Class Presidents and Student Leaders from Rockwell and AGSB Satellite Campuses, together with representatives from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH), trooped to the Development Academy of the Philippines in Tagaytay City for the AGSB’s Annual Student Leadership Conference.

Aptly named “First Companions,” the conference aims to bring together student leaders of the AGSB for a weekend of fellowship, self-awareness, and awakening, all in the context of the AGSB’s vision of molding professionals geared towards nation-building, guided by the Ignatian spirituality.

October 24 – Participants got to hear from, and interact with, inspiring leaders from various fields. Tony Meloto, founder of the social enterprise Gawad Kalinga, opened the conference with his impassioned talk on his humble beginnings, how Gawad Kalinga came about, and how he envisions a better future for this country. He ended with a strong invitation to join him in lifting the Filipino spirit, and in empowering both the middle class and the marginalised sectors to work hand in hand for social equality.

The student leaders also heard from Dr. Oscar Bulaong Jr., currently a faculty member of the AGSB, and Executive Director at the Gov. Jose B. Fernandez Jr. Ethics Center. Dr. Bulaong encouraged participants to come to terms with their “why” – the reason and heart of everything they do, in order to guide all their actions toward a single goal.

 

The outgoing student council of SY 2014-2015 also presented their accomplishments, aiming to lay down the benchmarks and foundation upon which the future council can build their programs and activities. This formally opened the conference to student council positions each leader can aspire for, and was coupled with a planning session where participants were able to propose suggestions on how the future student council and the administration can work to better serve its students and the AGSB community.

After hearing from Dean Rudy Ang about the upcoming plans for the AGSB, nominations for the various student council positions were then gathered. Nominees briefly introduced themselves, and everyone capped the first day with a night of fellowship.

October 25 – The conference’s second day opened with a prayer for discernment, as this day holds the most important activity of the event: the election of the student council for SY 2015-2016. Nominees from the previous evening were given the floor to state their platforms, what they hope to achieve, and why they should be chosen by the participants to lead students for the incoming school year.

Ballots were distributed, filled out, and gathered. Prior the announcement of results, participants were treated to a talk from Ms. Leah Miranda, an AGSB alumna who has worked her way to becoming a member of the prestigious Asian Development Bank. Her leadership story, being a recent one and a work-in-progress at that, mirrored what most of the participants in the conference is going through. Her dedication to her work, the consistent alignment of everything she does to her goals, and her endless positivity all worked to lay a path before her – a path she encouraged participants to work and look for tirelessly.

Election results were finalized soon after, which meant it was then time for the official announcement of the new student council officers. Results were as follows:

President: Perth Salva

Vice-President, Internal: Alyssa Miclat

Vice-President, External: Red Herrero

Secretary-General: Ryan Lim

Treasurer: Edward Decano

MBA-Standard Representatives: Migo Evardoloza, Von Miranda, Reimond Valdez

MBA-Regis Representative: Israel Yadao

MBA-MM Representative: Cat Villanueva

The new members of the student council took their oath, and was prayed over by the previous council and by all participants of the conference. The event ended as would any other Ateneo event – through the declaration of Ateneans’ passionate allegiance to the “school we choose,” in service to our Lady, Mary the Mother of God: “A Song for Mary.”