“Every Student is a Mission” 
As the new School Year 2009-10 begins, the ERDA TECH school community welcomes two ‘volunteer’ administrators from Xavier School who have just been ‘missioned’ to ERDA TECH. Fr. Johnny Go, SJ, ERDA Chairman of the Board, who also happens to be the Director of Xavier School, did the honors and introduced them to the teachers, officers and staff at a special meeting at ERDA TECH on March 27, 2009. Mrs. Jane N. Natividad, newly appointed Principal of ERDA TECH, has over 30 years of teaching and administrative experience. She taught high school physics and geometry at Jose Rizal College (1975-78) before joining Xavier School as a Grade School science teacher (1978-89). This was followed by a series of administrative appointments at XS, as GS Science Dept. Chair (1989-92), GS Assistant Principal (1993-95, 1996-02), GS OIC for Media Education (1997-98), Personnel Officer (2002-03), HS Principal (2003-05) and GS Principal (2006-09).
A BSE (major in Biology) from PLM, she obtained her MA in Science Education at PNC, with Educational Management doctoral units also at PNC.
Mrs. Natividad says she was not asked; rather, she volunteered to be available for ERDA TECH. She felt she could contribute meaningfully to its education apostolate.
She is also eager to try out ‘something new’. Brimming with infectious enthusiasm, she accepted this new assignment not without a sense of adventure, aware that ERDA TECH is bound to offer a new set of experiences very much different from those she has been accustomed to at Xavier.
For Mrs. Natividad, “Every student is a mission.” Hence, she feels committed to help each of them succeed. Having come from a similar background as the students at ERDA TECH, she hopes to be able to contribute effectively in their formation, since she is no stranger to the kinds of lives they lead. For her, this new assignment at ERDA TECH is an opportunity for her to reach out and give back.
 Mr. Peter Marc D. Magsalin, newly appointed ERDA TECH Assistant Principal for Administration, comes with his 14 years’ experience at Xavier School, where he started as a Grade School science teacher (1995-99), then GS Student Activity Program Coordinator (1999-02), GS Science Coordinator (2003-04), GS Assistant Principal (2004-07), and GS Science Dept. Chair (2007-09).
He completed a four-year secondary technical course on Industrial Drafting at Don Bosco Technical College (Mandaluyong). He has a BS in Secondary Education (major in Biology and Gen Science) from UST, with ongoing masteral studies in Science Education (PNU) and in Educational Management (PUP).
For him, this assignment at ERDA TECH is one that he is being called to do at this stage in his career. He sees it as a means by which he can fulfill his mission to give back to society, and ERDA TECH as a place where he could truly make a difference.
He looks forward to his new job as a challenge. As he puts it, “You have to be ready for anything. Set your goals. Condition the mind. Anything is possible and anything can happen.”
Both Mrs. Natividad and Mr. Magsalin share Fr. Go’s fond wish for ERDA TECH to become one of the best technical schools in the country. It goes without saying that the whole ERDA TECH community and the rest of the ERDA Group wish them Godspeed in their plans to steer the school in that direction and make that come to pass. - Miguel Alphonso ORETA |
