An Interview with my "Model Mentor"
Cubao
2011-04-18 23:23:38

Aiza Yasis

It was a beautiful Wednesday when Anna Santos and I had a chance to interview this year's "Professor of the Year" in her office... while eating fried noodles. We didn't expect it to be as enjoyable as it was. My uneasiness subsided when we started the interview with her because of her accommodating and ever cheerful attitude.

We interviewed no other than Dr. Arsenia T. Lozano Mam Seni for others. She is the current Chairperson of Liberal Arts Department. She teaches Education subjects, Personality Development and Social Sciences subjects.

One thing that really describes her is that she's a very busy woman. She's an administrator, a professor, a wife and a mother not just to her children but also to LA students, all of these at the same time. How could she manage it? Well that's what we were trying to find out!

Did you know that teaching was not her first job? She was a working student then and worked as an Executive Secretary in an American firm in Makati. She also became acquainted with Joey de Leon, who is a brother of Orly Ilacad, the owner of Vicor Recording Company; she worked as secretary for their company after college graduation.

Then she took a part-time teaching job here in National College of Business and Arts. She asked her sister, who was a secretary of the former President Doroteo Pasion, if she could apply. She went to work at daytime and would teach at night. But when she got married, she needed to choose between her day time and night time work. She chose teaching and she said that she never regretted it.

Just last February, she got the most coveted award for NCBA professors, the "Professor of the Year" Award. It is given every five (5) years to an excellent professor who will get the highest score in the student's evaluation and who has exemplary service in teaching. She wasn't expecting the award because she attended the ceremony simply knowing that a Service Award will be given to her. It was an euphoric moment for her. She said that she would like to share her awards with the God Almighty, to her family for their unwavering support, to her friends and colleagues, and to all the beautiful, inspiring people who became her anchors and motivations She said that the award was one of the amazing things that have happened to her in her teaching career.

Her best advice for aspiring teachers when they enter the academe is CAP - commitment, attitude and passion. Commitment - marry your profession, you'll have to accept that many responsibilities will come with your job. Attitude - have a right and positive attitude, there's nothing that could bring you down except yourself, you could turn the gloomiest day to a sunny one with the right attitude. Last is Passion - love your work not for anything else but for uplifting the minds of the students, and if you love what you do, you'll be like playing as you do your job.

Our final question for her is what is TEACHING for her? Promptly she answered that teaching is her life because she loves it. Teaching is not only done in the classrooms but simply having an affluent conversation with one another, like our interview with her.

Many faculty members, students and many people say that she really deserves the award "Professor of the Year", because of the unsurpassed learning they gain from her. We left her office with a broad smile on our lips because we were certain that we will never forget the day we got a chance to know Dr. Arsenia Lozano deeply and I am thankful for having the chance to write this article about her