Lessons beyond borders at ISUFST

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The airport was buzzing as always, but for three ISUFST student-teachers, the noise felt muffled by the rhythm of their own nerves. They weren’t just catching a flight last July 13, 2025—they were catching a chance to prove themselves in a world beyond Iloilo. For Rojeal Castro of Dumangas Campus, Warren Villazana of Dingle Campus, and Kathleen Hope Marte of Main Campus–Tiwi Site, the trip to Medan City, North Sumatra, Indonesia, wasn’t about sightseeing. It was about testing courage, living out ISUFST’s mission of producing globally competitive but community-rooted graduates, and finding out who they could become when comfort was left behind.

All three had reasons to stay. Rojeal worried about her mother and sick grandfather. Warren wasn’t sure his family could shoulder the costs. Kath admitted she was scared. But encouragement proved stronger than hesitation. Families chipped in pesos, mentors reminded them that golden doors don’t stay open forever, and friends cheered as if they were the ones flying. The burden never disappeared—it was simply carried together.

This journey was made possible through the SEA Teacher Project, the Pre-Service Student Teacher Exchange in Southeast Asia of SEAMEO. More than just an exchange, it’s a program that lets young teachers step out of their classrooms and into new cultures—where teaching is only half the lesson, and the other half is learning how to live, adapt, and connect. For Rojeal, Warren, and Kath, it was a chance to see education not as borders but as bridges.

Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) proved right away that kindness is a universal language. From airport smiles to a welcome dinner that felt like a fiesta back home, Medan didn’t seem like another country—it felt like Iloilo, just with a different beat. “The people were so generous. They treated us like family,” Warren said. Kath nodded, saying the constant smiles erased her sense of being an outsider. For Rojeal, it was the children who sealed the welcome—hugging them, writing them letters, and offering food every day. Belonging, she realized, is not about birthplace, but about heart.

The classrooms at Al-Amjad Islamic School, UMSU partner school for SEA Teacher Project practicum, became their proving ground. Rojeal, expecting junior high, was instead handed Grade 5 and 6 English classes. What began as shock became joy as she used games and teamwork to make learning fun. “I wanted them to feel English was an adventure, not a burden,” she said. Warren faced six math sections a week, sometimes teaching for hours, and learned that energy was as important as equations. “If I’m lively, the students are lively too—and that’s when learning happens.” Kath, teaching sports to Grades 7 to 9, leaned on group play instead of long instructions. “They learned best when they moved together,” she smiled.

The hard truth, though, was that teaching abroad is rarely neat. Lessons failed, words got lost, students tuned out. But instead of breaking them, these moments made them bend. Rojeal repeated her mantra—treat challenges as lessons, not problems. Warren laughed off marathon math sessions, reminding himself he was still learning. Kath admitted she lost confidence once, but gained it back by changing her approach. Slowly, they discovered that adaptability—not perfection—is the teacher’s best tool.

Life outside school was just as rich. Spice, sweetness, comfort—every dish told a story. The call to prayer echoed too, showing how faith shapes every moment in Indonesia. And Literacy Day, where children sprawled on the grass with books, opened their eyes to how learning can be joyful beyond four walls.

What struck them most was how the experience changed them as people. “I became more independent, more open to ideas,” Rojeal said. “After every class, I asked myself what worked and what didn’t—that habit made me grow,” Warren shared. For Kath, teaching quickly felt like trial and error. “You keep adjusting, that’s the only way,” she laughed. Together, they realized good teachers aren’t those who never stumble, but those who stand up wiser after each fall.

That spirit matched SDG 4 and SDG 10—making education open to everyone and turning differences into connections through kindness. And they advanced SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals through ISUFST’s collaboration with UMSU, and Al-Amjad Islamic School by extension, proving that when schools join hands, borders turn into bridges.

Through it all, they leaned on the compass of ISUFST’s values—integrity, social justice, discipline, and academic excellence. Warren said he felt these shaping every decision. Rojeal credited them for her courage to empathize deeply. Kath said they gave her pride to carry ISUFST’s name abroad. For the three, the university’s vision of becoming Southeast Asia’s leading research university by 2030 wasn’t just a slogan—it was already unfolding in their own lives.

Behind the triumphs were those who made them possible. Rojeal thanked her mother, her friends, and Dumangas officials who rallied around her. Warren credited his aunt “Mommy Itching,” the Amparo family, and Dean Rene Estomo, who accompanied them and served as both mentor and lifeline. Kath remembered her parents, relatives, the generosity of Congressman Ferjenel Biron and Vice Mayor Hernan Biron Jr. The trio could only bow in thanks—for ISUFST that opened the door, and for UMSU and Al-Amjad Islamic School that embraced them like family. Gratitude, they all agreed, was the invisible thread that stitched their story together.

SEA Teacher facilitator Dr. Rene Estomo, who went with them to Indonesia and joined them in the first week, called it unforgettable. “Seeing our students grow and succeed outside the country, even with struggles, showed their real potential,” he said. “SEA Teacher isn’t just teaching—it’s about building character and confidence.”

For Dr. Jeanette Bayona of the Office of International Affairs and Linkages, the program reflects ISUFST’s global spirit. “This is internationalization in its most human form,” she explained. “It’s not just about sending students abroad—it’s about building bridges of understanding, respect, and friendship that our students will carry for life.”

Asked what they’d tell the next batch of ISUFST students, the three voices sang the same tune. “Go out of your comfort zone,” Rojeal said. “Don’t be afraid to take risks,” Warren added. Kath, smiling, put it plainly: “Do it afraid. Fear means you’re about to grow.” These weren’t slogans—they were truths carved in the space between Iloilo and Medan.

For ISUFST, these three are proof that its mission is alive. They show that the university doesn’t just train students for classrooms here—it shapes educators who can thrive anywhere without losing their Filipino soul. Their journeys embody what President Dr. Nordy Siason Jr. calls “the spirit of ISUFST.” As he put it, “When our students carry our values abroad and come back stronger, we see our vision in action. They are proof that ISUFST can be small in size but big in impact.”

Humor had its place too. Warren still chuckles about teaching math for two hours and 35 minutes straight. Kath remembers haggling in markets with little more than hand gestures. Rojeal laughs at being “misassigned” to elementary English, only to realize it was exactly where she belonged. They saw that resilience can look like a laugh that breaks through challenge.

Landing back in Iloilo, their luggage was filled not with things, but with memories—the laughter of students, the taste of satay, the sound of prayer, and the courage of lessons learned. They came back changed—teachers with bigger hearts.

Their story proves that with courage and support, fear can become hope. It shows how a provincial university like ISUFST can send ripples across Southeast Asia through the bravery of its students. And it reminds every young Ilonggo that sometimes the greatest journeys begin not with certainty, but with a trembling “yes.” (Herman Lagon/PAMMCO)