MAROONONG GURO NG BAYAN SERIES: Dr. Ganela: Honor, excellence, service in action

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There are people who arrive in leadership loudly—announced, decorated, expected. Some people step into leadership with noise. Others grow into it quietly—steady, almost stubborn—one classroom, one decision, one sacrifice at a time. Dr. Shena Faith M. Ganela belongs to the latter. Now, as Deputy Executive Director of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) System, she carries a role both demanding and visible. But long before the title, before the national recognition, she was simply someone who chose teaching—even when others asked, almost dismissively, “Ngaa maestra ka lang?”

Her answer was never loud. It was lived.

She graduated with a Master of Education major in English as a Second Language (ESL) from the University of the Philippines Visayas in 1999 , a decision rooted not in convenience but in conviction. “For me, taking a Master’s degree felt like the next honest step if I really wanted to grow as a teacher,” she said. UP Visayas wasn’t just known for being rigorous—it had this quiet culture of thinking deeply, of asking better questions. She saw it as an opportunity to grow in what she already loved.

In time, that choice would influence much of what followed.

WHERE LEARNING BECOMES FORMATION

Her years at UP Visayas were not easy. In fact, they were often exhausting. She balanced teaching and graduate studies, sacrificing weekends, personal time, and rest. But those years were also where something deeper took shape. “Honestly, those challenges forced me to grow up a bit—to be more disciplined, more patient, and clearer about my purpose,” she shared. No big words, just something you understand once you’ve been through it yourself.

Inside UPV classrooms, she was one of the younger students, surrounded by seasoned educators from different sectors. Instead of shrinking, she leaned in. The diversity of experience became her advantage. Ideas were exchanged, practices were challenged, and slowly, her confidence found its footing. “Our professors introduced innovative teaching strategies that inspired me to rethink my approach,” she said.

One mentor stood out—Dr. Aurora Fe Bautista. Not for grand gestures, but for something more enduring: presence. “I admired her confident yet approachable demeanor… she became a model of the kind of educator I aspired to be.” It is often like this in UPV—learning is not only content, it is character.

That is perhaps where the UP values—Honor, Excellence, and Service—stop being slogans and begin becoming habits.

Her time in UPV did not just sharpen her teaching. In time, it changed how she related to others and how she made sense of leadership. She learned to listen more, work alongside people, and remain a learner—even as a leader. These lessons came from the work itself.

So when she received the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teacher award in 2009, it did not feel sudden. It felt earned over time.

And consistency, as educators know, is rarely glamorous.

LEADERSHIP THAT GREW FROM THE CLASSROOM

Her journey in the PSHS System reads like a steady unfolding rather than a dramatic leap. She began as a classroom teacher, taking on roles that many educators quietly shoulder—adviser, committee member, discipline officer. Each role added a layer. Each responsibility shaped her lens.

Then came opportunities she did not necessarily plan for—but accepted anyway.

Leadership training in Japan and Australia expanded her perspective. In 2012, she was appointed as the youngest Campus Director of the PSHS Western Visayas Campus, a role she would hold for 12 years. It was not just a title; it was a test. Leading former mentors, navigating transitions, and building trust in an already established system required something deeper than technical expertise. It required humility.

“UPV taught me to be a humble learner and a collaborative leader,” she said.

That humility became her anchor.

Under her leadership, the campus transformed—not through spectacle, but through thoughtful, intentional growth. Laboratories were upgraded. Smart classrooms were introduced. A new academic building rose. A planetarium—the first in the PSHS System and in the Visayas—was established. But beyond infrastructure, there was something more deliberate: balance.

Coming from a humanities background, she ensured that science education did not lose its human core. Student well-being was prioritized. Mental health programs were institutionalized. Teachers were supported. Spaces for reflection and creativity were built alongside spaces for research and innovation.

“Balancing academic rigor with student well-being requires intentional design,” she explained.

And intentional it was.

Her leadership found its way beyond school walls. She was part of the work behind K–12 reforms, helped shape training programs, and supported efforts to improve systems—from governance to digital transformation. When the pandemic disrupted everything, she helped keep things moving, finding ways to continue learning while staying aware of what students were going through beyond the screen.

But what stands out is not the long list of work. It is how she speaks about it.

“Leadership is not defined by position, but by purpose.”

There is something unassuming about it. No big words. Just clarity.

In 2025, she moved into her current role as Deputy Executive Director of the PSHS System. The scale changed, but not her approach.

Her view of science education holds the same ground. “Science education is fundamental to nation-building… ‘Science is for the people.’” It reminds you that science is not meant to be distant.

AN ALUMNA WHO CARRIES THE MISSION FORWARD

To understand Dr. Ganela’s story fully, one must see it not as an individual success, but as part of a larger ecosystem—the kind that UP Visayas and the UPV Master of Education Alumni Association (UPVMEAA) are trying to nurture.

UPVMEAA is built on a simple but powerful identity: Iskolar at Guro ng Bayan. It exists not just to reconnect alumni, but to mobilize them—to teach, to lead, to advocate. In many ways, Dr. Ganela embodies that mission. Her journey reflects what happens when connection, growth, and service intersect.

She herself acknowledges the role of alumni in shaping education beyond classrooms. “Alumni play a vital role by embodying excellence… and actively participating in policy development,” she said. It is a reminder that education does not end at graduation—it expands.

UPVMEAA’s guiding idea—Small Steps, Big Impact—feels almost like a summary of her career. Nothing rushed, nothing forced, just consistent, purposeful movement. It is also an invitation. To fellow alumni. To future educators. To those still deciding whether teaching is “worth it.”

Her story answers that question without directly confronting it.

And perhaps that is why it resonates.

Because in a world that often measures success loudly, her journey is a quieter kind of proof. That choosing teaching is not settling—it is committing. Leadership does not always begin with ambition—it often starts with belief.

She offers advice that feels simple: “Love your work… strive for excellence, but remain humble… believe deeply in the power of education to transform lives.” There is nothing flashy about it. But what makes it matter is how faithfully she has lived those words.

This piece opens the Maroonong Guro ng Bayan series—stories of UPV M.Ed. alumni who continue to shape education in ways we see, and in ways we often do not. And if there is something they share, it is this: the classroom never really leaves them.

Dr. Shena Faith M. Ganela carries hers into national leadership.

And in doing so, she reminds us of something we often forget:

The most powerful reforms in education do not always begin in policy rooms.

Sometimes, they begin with a teacher who refused to walk away. (Herman Lagon | Joan Belga | UPVMEAA)