*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD
The name of the school does not define the character and
intellect of the student. It is the character and intellect of the student that
define the name of the school. I have carried this conviction not as one of my
quotable quote, but as a principle carved by my puzzling multi-dimensional experience.
There was a time I served as the Dean of a college that,
truth be told, wasn’t among the popular or elite ones. It wasn’t whispered in
the same breath as the so-called “dream schools.” But I stood in front of my
students one day and told them straight: “There is no difference between you
and those studying in UP, Ateneo, or La Salle. You all use the same books, you
follow the same curriculum. The only difference is the attitude you bring to
your learning, and the values that guide you in reaching your dreams.”
Some of them chuckled nervously, thinking I was merely
throwing words of comfort. But I meant it with all the seriousness of a teacher
who knew the truth: brilliance is never monopolized by a school’s name.
Excellence is not sold in tuition fees. Success is not inherited from a school
gate; it is forged inside the heart of a determined student.
Over the years, I watched some of those very students rise
in life. Some became professionals, others entrepreneurs, some even public
servants. A few of them returned to visit me, smiling with pride. I often
teased them, “So, was it really the school’s name that carried you here? Or was
it your sleepless nights, your persistence, and your refusal to quit?” They
laughed, but deep inside, they knew the truth: their victories were born not of
prestige, but of perseverance.
I remember one student in particular in my professorial debut at an ordinary college after finishing my masters degree with Latin Honors, wherein my rate as a professor is 62 pesos per hour in 1997—his name is Damian. He was quiet, almost invisible in class. Not an achiever, not the one who collected medals or certificates. Just an ordinary student who listened silently and went about his business. Many would not have predicted greatness from him. Yet today, Damian is a thriving businessman, far more financially successful than many of my students who graduated from prestigious schools. He is living proof that success cannot be predicted by awards on paper, nor by the popularity of a diploma, but by the determination and creativity one brings into the real world. Sometimes, the “silent ones” write the loudest chapters of success.
And yes, there is drama in this reality. Many of those young
people came from families who sacrificed just to keep them enrolled. Some of
them studied under dim lamps, skipped meals, or worked part-time jobs to pay
their tuition. Their diplomas may not have carried “big names,” but they
carried stories of blood, sweat, and tears. Those sacrifices gave their
achievements a depth no Latin honor could ever match.
Life has a way of proving this again and again. I have seen
graduates of elite schools stumble when faced with real-world challenges,
because their values were shallow. And I have seen graduates of humble schools
soar, because their integrity, resilience, and intellect could not be
contained.
So, whenever we talk about education, let us remember:
schools are just vessels. Some may look like grand galleons, others like simple
boats. But what matters is the sailor, not the ship. The student’s courage,
values, and discipline will always determine how far they go.
And so I say this with conviction: it is never the school
that makes the student. It is always, always the student who makes the school.
Because at the end of the day, success is not branded by a
school’s name—it is engraved in the life you build.
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