SM scholars among special tutors sent to Japan

MANILA, Philippines - Two junior English major students in the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City have their hands full after qualifying as special tutors for a 3-month internship program at the Miyakonojo Higashi High School in Miayazaki Prefecture, Japan. The two — Justin Maguad Politico and Mika Tajima — are among 10 English major students of the College of Education (for secondary education) of  the University of St. La Salle to be given the opportunity to teach English to Japanese high school students under a partnership program between the two institutions.

The program’s delegates left last Aug. 14 and would return to the Philippines on Nov. 15, in time for the second semester enrollment. The internship program is officially credited to their fourth-year internship program and course unit.

Politico said he intends to be a good educator not just for the mind but for the spirit as well. Politico (despite his surname, is not inclined in that direction) said he plans to teach in Bacolod City as he does not want to be away from his parents. “I want to become a good teacher who would not just teach minds but also touch hearts and transform lives. I love my course so much because I know that teaching is my vocation and I have been teaching Sunday school in our church since 1st year high school. I wasn’t pushed to take such course, rather it is really what I want — to become a teacher,” Politico said in an interview.

The two students will finish the first semester as regular students. Despite their 3-month stay in Japan, they will be qualified to enroll for the second semester of Academic Year 2014-2015 and get their certificates of enrollment through their parents, who will be their official enrollment representatives. He said the English tutorship program in Japan “will surely develop my teaching skills in the global arena, not just in local settings.” This program is restricted to education students particularly those majoring in English.

Polistico is an SM scholar who is gunning for latin honors while Tajima is a Kabayan scholar whose scholarship grant is being managed by the SM Foundation. Both sought the permission of SM Foundation executive director for education Linda Atayde to participate in this endeavour, a “once in a lifetime opportunity to build a strong edifice in the fulfilment of our dreams as defined by the scholarship grant.” SM Foundation posed no objections to the grant and in fact is supporting the two students by allowing them to collect their monthly allowance (in pesos) as scholars and gave them additional allowance (in yen) to add to the allowance that will be given to them by the Japanese government.

As to how he would repay SM when he finishes college, Politico said “having studied hard very well is already my way of repaying SM Foundation. And being a very good high school teacher in my city soon will be another way of paying forward to SM Foundation.”

Tajima, an only child from Barangay Tangub, Bacolod born from the marriage of her mother to Masakatsu Tajima, a Japanese civil engineer, said their lives became hard when her dad left them. Her mother had to shift from one job to the next to sustain all their needs. She got her Kabayan scholarship sponsored by then Vice-President Noli de Castro by being included in the 10 outstanding public school students of the Philippines in high school. She said the internship program will open her horizon about teaching the global language and the experience would hone her skill and expand her knowledge of other cultures while preparing her for the global arena.