A Trimester with UP Professor Donne Jonne Sodusta

The name Donne Jonne Sodusta has always been associated with the verb 'achieve' and all the words that come from it - 'achiever', 'achievement'. I have known the guy since our college days at West Visayas State University-College of Education. His major was Social Science, mine was English Language and Literature.

I got to know him better when he entered SILAK, the official student publication of the College of Education, West Visayas State University. When Prof. Gladys Baban-Cordero, the publication adviser, appointed me as editor-in-chief, she likewise made Donne the managing editor. Ours was a good tandem. I never had any problem working with him.

As my managing editor, Donne played a key role in the operation of the college publication. Yes, it's a highly coveted post but it brought with it heaps of responsibilities -- managing the staff, setting and enforcing policies, determining coverage, as well as serving as the primary liaison. He did all these things so well that he was made the editor-in-chief the following year. I, on the other hand, assumed the post of 'news editor' of FORUM-DIMENSIONS, the official university publications of West Visayas State University.

When Donne's term in SILAK ended, his star never waned. In fact, it grew brighter even more. He joined activities and student groups where his talents found expression. He participated in the Ayala Young Leaders Congress, a student leadership summit designed to build the delegates' confidence and hone their leadership skills, to nurture commitment to integrity and principled leadership, to foster nationalism and idealism, and to encourage faithful stewardship of their communities and the country's future.

With a heart for leadership, Donne tried his luck in student politics. He ran and eventually won the chairmanship post of the Education Student Council ( ESC ), West Visayas State University. In any college or university, for a single student to have served as the top guy of the college publication and the student council is a rare thing. But Donne just did it. For many of us who know him, he's a wonder boy.

Armed with superb credentials and just an amazing personality, Donne joined the regional TOSP ( Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines ) search. Inspired by our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, the TOSP is an annual search of 10 of the best college students throughout the country. It was founded by Mr. Jose Concepcion of the RFM Foundation in order to honor students who are exemplars and leaders in their own academic fields and in their contributions to society. Donne ranked first in Western Visayas making him one of the finalists nationwide. It was no less than Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who awarded him in Malacanang in 2004.

Donne was one of the most bemedalled graduates of Class 2004 of West Visayas State University. One of his awards was the IWAG Award for his outstanding performance in campus journalism given by the Philippine Information Agency ( PIA )-Regional Office VI. I received the same award from the PIA in the previous year. For his meritorious academic standing, he finished his degree 'Magna cum Laude'.

When I left West Visayas State University, I didn't hear much about Donne. What I just knew was that he was absorbed by the College of Education to teach in the Secondary Laboratory School ( SLS ) which he is also an alumnus. He became the adviser of the 'Blue Quill', the school paper of the SLS. He also taught Professional Education as well as Pedagogy subjects in the College of Education. Eventually, Donne became the adviser of SILAK, the publication he headed during his college days.

With such brilliance as his, Donne was invited to teach at the Graduate Education Program of the University of the Philippines Visayas, the same school where he finished his Master in Education major in Social Science. There, I met him once more - this time as my teacher. I personally chose to be in his 'Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education' class because I knew that I could learn a lot from him. It felt awkward at first, but as Saturdays went by, I learned to accept the fact that he's my professor, not my colleague. The once Donne to me became my Sir Donne.

Sir Donne's class was intense yet fun. The first thing that I remember about his class was our discussion on Paolo Freire's 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed'. Freire is perhaps the most influential thinker about education in the 21st century. In his book 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed', Freire proposes a pedagogy with a new relationship among teacher, student, and society. Here, he calls traditional pedagogy the 'banking model' because it treats the student as an empty vessel to be filled with knowledge, like a piggy bank. He exhorts that teachers should treat learners as co-creator of knowledge.

For most of us who know him, Sir Donne is a model teacher. He approaches nearly most of the qualities of a good Social Studies teacher - a skillful facilitator of learning, a student leader, a worthy colleague, a good citizen, a participant in community affairs, and a scholar who keeps abreast of education. Way to go, Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta!

POST SCRIPT

The following photos were taken at Sir Donne's class in 'Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education', Graduate Education Program, University of the Philippines Visayas, Iloilo City Campus.

The 'Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education' class of Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta, 2nd Trimester, Academic Year 2010-2011, GCEB Building, UP Visayas, Iloilo City Campus

For posterity's sake. - At Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta's class in 'Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education', GCEB Building, UP Visayas, Iloilo City Campus