by Triceayn Marie D. Prestousa, Dean, Office of Student Affairs
Four student leaders and Office of Student Affairs (OSA) personnel from Saint Louis University (SLU) participated in the three-day Interactive Youth Forum (IYF) 2023 held at the Venus Parkview Hotel, Kisad Road, Burnham Park, Baguio City on 9 to 11 March 2023. The IYF is a flagship leadership development program of the Philippine Association of Practitioners of Student Affairs and Services, Inc. (PAPSAS).
The Louisians who attended the IYF 2023 were student leaders Joshua Troy Mose, Ellyn Joy Cortez, Nicole Justin Agbasil, Aljohn Philip Vidal, accompanied by Mrs. Maricar Geronimo.
With its theme “Post-Pandemic Perspectives Becoming REAL: Reconnecting, Embracing, Adapting, Living Now!,” participants of the program were able to:
- Reconnect with fellow student leaders;
- Embrace the new realities, challenges, and opportunities of the “now normal”;
- Adapt to the changes, with positive leadership culture and values, and adjusted strategies for the organizations’ missions and plans;
- Live out the essential role of a post-pandemic student leader in society.
Prominent keynote and resource speakers were also invited to share their expertise with the forum participants.
Dr. Ryan C. Guinaran, Founding Executive Director of Doctors for Indigenous Health and Culturally Competent Training, Education, Networking and Governance (DITENG), delivered the keynote address, sharing his wisdom in spearheading socio-civic projects and his legacies on how one becomes a better leader, highlighting the state of the world today – VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity).
Meanwhile, Director of Student Activities at the Ateneo de Manila University, Ralph Jacinto ‘Tats’ Quiblat engaged the IYF participants during his talk, “Turning Digital Natives into Responsible Digital Citizens.”
The SLU Glee Club also participated in the event, opening it with a doxology and a production number.
