LNU Alumni Affairs

Congratulations, CHED Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis, newly conferred Commissioner of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and Chairperson of its Education Committee.

Greetings from the entire LNU Community!

𝐢𝐧𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑: 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐍𝐔’𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫

The stories of some successful teachers begin with a childhood dream of becoming an educator. For Dr. Alma Sonia Sanchez-Danday, however, her journey began with a desire to make a genuine difference in someone’s life and to faithfully serve the Greatest Teacher. She found that calling in teaching.

Also serving as a lawyer in pursuit of truth and justice, she realized that these values are just as crucial inside the classroom as they are in the courtroom. “Perhaps even more urgently,” she shared, as it is “where young minds are still being shaped, where values are still being formed, and where someone’s entire trajectory can shift because of one teacher who showed up and cared”.

Moreover, she has seen firsthand how a teacher’s presence can transform a life positively. Early in her career at the Integrated Laboratory School of LNU, she cared for a kindergarten learner who struggled significantly with language. As a new teacher, she admits she felt unsure and "a little afraid of getting it wrong” when communicating her concerns to the parents. Guided by humility, she sought advice from colleagues and the school director and trusted the process as she prepared for the conversation. The parents listened, later consulted a pediatrician, and the child finally received the intervention he needed.

”Now, every time I see that boy call out to me, reach for my hands, and strike up a conversation he once could not have, my heart just fills up,” she reflected.

This experience deepened her respect for Early Childhood Education (ECE), even though it was not her initial specialty, having graduated from LNU’s double degree program in BEED-BSED. It reminded her of the profound role teachers can play in the earliest stages of a child’s life. To her, ECE teachers must be “most prepared, most attentive, and most caring of all” for these early years are sacred grounds. “What a child learns early is hard to unlearn, and what we notice, or fail to notice, can determine whether these little ones get the fighting chance they truly deserve,” she added.

Now, serving as a faculty member in the university’s Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (BECED) program, she continues to carry that conviction as her regular teaching days are never simply about delivering lessons. Instead, she walks into the classroom resolved “to plant something in a person that will outlive the semester”.

It is these quiet acts of devotion that earned her this year’s Most Outstanding Teacher of the LNU. Yet for those who know her well, the recognition simply affirms what they have long witnessed in her: a teacher who does not pursue accolades, but faithfully serves through the vocation she has embraced.

With her impressive credentials, high academic rank, and numerous recognitions, one might wonder about the standards she sets for herself. Yet for her, institutional expectations or professional evaluations are not her ultimate measure.

Her understanding of an ideal teacher was shaped early in life by the example of her own parents, who were both dedicated educators.

However, she ultimately measures her work against the highest standard—the example of the Greatest Teacher she strives to follow.

In humble acknowledgement, she shared, “As idealistic as it may sound, He is the standard I quietly measure myself against, knowing I will never fully reach it, but pressing toward it nonetheless.” This philosophy strengthens her to work with meaning and accountability as she shared, “I cannot afford to be careless or indifferent, because what I do in that classroom is, in the deepest sense, an act of service.”

It is this principled commitment that makes her an inspiring educator to her students and colleagues.

To her students, she offers advice and a challenge:

“Please do not settle for just passing. Be curious. Ask questions, even the ones that feel embarrassing. Show up not just physically but mentally, and trust that the effort you put in today will surface somewhere in your life when you least expect it. And if you are struggling, say so. A good teacher will always find a way to meet you where you are.”

Meanwhile, to her fellow educators, she offers a reminder of the true measure of teaching: “Teach like no one is watching, because the days when no award is on the line are the days that truly define what kind of teacher you are.” She also encourages them to “stay humble enough to keep learning, stay firm enough to hold students to high standards, and stay compassionate enough to remember that every student in front of you is carrying something you may never fully see”.

Despite the honors received, she remains grounded and deeply grateful, believing that the gifts entrusted to her are meant to be shared in service to others.

“Those who have been given much are called to give much in return,” she reflected. “I have been deeply blessed with education, with opportunity, with mentors who invested in me. Teaching is my way of honoring that.”

Through her life and work, this year’s Most Outstanding Teacher reminds the LNU Community that being a NormaliStar goes far beyond the recognition. It is ultimately about service, faithfully using one’s gifts to shape lives, nurture minds, and make a positive lasting impact in the lives of others.

𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝘀

The 2026 Regional Culture and Arts Festival (RCAF) – Literary Arts Competitions highlighted the exceptional talent, creativity, and artistic expression of the participating State Universities and Colleges. The event was co-hosted by Leyte Normal University and Eastern Visayas State University on March 11, 2026.

The festival served as a meaningful platform for student-artists in the region to showcase their skills, celebrate culture and the arts, and strengthen camaraderie among the SUCs in Eastern Visayas.

Congratulations, PASUC 8! Congratulations to all SUCs!

𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲: 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴

For Kirby D. Lagare, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science student from the College of Arts and Sciences, recognition came in the most unexpected way. While doing paperwork, Kirby received news that he had been named Model Student of the Year. Before he could process it, another colleague informed him that he was also this year’s back-to-back Artist of the Year. As Kirby recalled, “I felt pure joy and disbelief...” But as the shock slowly gave way to reflection, one feeling rose above all the rest—gratitude.

Kirby’s understanding of what it means to be a model student has also grown through the years. A year ago, when he was named among the Top 10 Model Students in the Dayaw Awards, he defined a model student as someone who embodies integrity, excellence, and service. Today, his view has become more profound and hard-won. In his words, “A model student is someone whose mind never tires of learning, and whose spirit never tires of fighting.”

That definition was shaped by the realities of his own journey. “When I first entered college, I was full of doubts. A nobody in the busy loud city of Tacloban, uncertain if I could even survive,” he admitted. Even in discouraging moments, Kirby kept moving forward, drawing strength from the hopes of his family and community, and from the faith of those who had believed in him from the very beginning.
Beyond leadership and academics, Kirby’s journey as an artist reveals another side of excellence — one marked by sacrifice, exhaustion, and resilience. Kirby emphasized that becoming even a nominee for Artist of the Year was never easy. What remained hidden from public view were the countless personal sacrifices he and many other artists had to endure.

He spoke candidly about the toll that balancing academics and the arts took on his well-being. “To balance my academic life and creative endeavor, I would sometimes wake up with Sting Energy Drink as a brunch,” he revealed, a simple but striking image of the price he paid in pursuit of both scholarship and art. He also confessed, “I missed social gatherings, battled sickness, and faced silent struggles that no one else could see. It felt draining—physically, emotionally, and mentally.” Still, Kirby chose to continue. He endured not for recognition alone, but for something greater than himself. “My friends and loved ones became my strength. They reminded me to rest, to breathe, and to keep going,” he said.

For fellow students who dream of making their mark in leadership, journalism, and the arts, Kirby offers advice that is both practical and inspiring. “Dare to try. Dare to fail. Dare to learn. At this stage of our lives, failures are not the end—they are simply rehearsals of our success stories. And more often than not, nobody even cares. Like the bloopers in a film, they are just behind-the-scenes moments that make the final cut more authentic. And the beauty about our supposed failures is that statistically speaking, it increases our odds of succeeding the next time. So, lead with courage, write with conviction, and create with passion. The world does not need perfection, it needs voice, vision, and willingness to keep moving forward.”

Now serving as an intern at the Senate of the Philippines, Kirby stands at another meaningful stage of his journey. “I aim to keep creating and telling stories that matter, and to share my knowledge and experiences with the youth and the community,” he said. For him, giving back is the natural next step after receiving so much support from others. As he reflected on what lies ahead, his words captured the heart of his story: “My journey does not end with recognition; it continues with responsibility.”

As a Normalista, Kirby D. Lagare embodies excellence, resilience, and purpose in both leadership and the arts. His journey reminds fellow Normalistas that true success lies not only in achievement, but also in service, gratitude, and the commitment to give back.

A week has passed since the vibrant celebration of the 105th Foundation Week of Leyte Normal University, and our hearts remain full of gratitude.

The Hermano and Hermana Mayores would like to extend their sincerest thanks to everyone who helped make this milestone celebration truly meaningful and successful.

Everyone's collective efforts showcased the pride, unity, and excellence of the Normalista community as we celebrated LNU@105: Sustaining Excellence, Embracing Innovations, Expanding Horizons.