The promise that is Lucia Matoza

On 30 September 2024, Lucia Matoza made history by becoming the first-ever elected Grade 7 female batch representative of Ateneo de Manila Junior High School. She accomplished the feat during SY 2024-2025, the first year of AJHS' co-ed implementation. That’s quite the achievement for a young lady who comes from a batch that’s approximately 78% male!  

So how did Lucia pull it off? What qualities made her batchmates vote for her in such a momentous election, and what are her plans now that she’s been elected?

We spent some time with Lucia herself and two formators who know her well to answer these questions.  

First, a brief background. Lucia Matoza graduated Class Valedictorian of Primemont Science School in June 2024. She also received medals for being the best in MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education, Health), TLE (Technology Livelihood Education), Science, English, and Values Education upon her graduation from elementary school. 

Describing herself as “a diligent student,” Lucia said she was excited to come to Ateneo because she had heard that the school was welcoming girls this year, and she wanted to be one of them. She had also heard from friends that AJHS’ academic curriculum is “really good.” 

And so, Lucia applied and prayed for a sign from God as to whether or not she could become an Atenean. Her prayers were answered when she was not only accepted, but also awarded a full scholarship by the school. 

In August, the school year began and Lucia promptly proceeded to make herself comfortable in the AJHS. She was thrilled to meet so many new friends and was then elected as President of her 7-Arrowsmith class. Her class moderator and Math teacher, Mr. Jon Bada, was not surprised when this happened. “ Lucia is a charismatic people person who is very bubbly, has a good personality, and is eager to learn, ” he says. “She is also an academic achiever with very good grades.” 

Lucia shares that her current favorite subjects are Science and Math, which were also her favorites in grade school. But there’s a new subject that she enjoys now that she never liked before. “I didn’t like Art in my previous school,” Lucia confesses, “but it’s one of my favorites now because Ms. Aia Carlos makes it fun and enjoyable.” 

As for her co-curricular organization, Lucia is a member of the dance troupe IndAK, which is moderated by Mr. Julio Morato, who also moderates the Assembly of Class Officers (ACO). She reveals that she’s been interested in dance since she was three years old, and that she hopes to perform onstage in front of the AJHS community very soon. 

Last month, on 25 September 2024, Lucia did find herself onstage before her batchmates, not to dance but to convince them to vote for her as their batch representative during the Grade 7 Miting de Avance. Five days later, she handily won the election, becoming the school’s first ever female Grade 7 Batch Rep. Now it’s one thing to be elected class president, and quite another feat to be elected batch rep. What gave her the advantage? Mr Bada offers that one, Lucia “always makes sure that she knows what’s happening in school”; and two, “she’s very approachable, especially to her batchmates.” 

Ask Lucia for her guess as to why she won, and she offers a very pragmatic answer. “I think what made my batchmates vote for me is my speech po,” she says matter-of-factly. “The other candidates didn’t get to finish at all. But I got to finish my platform and present what projects I wanted to do for my batch.”   

As class president and batch rep, Lucia promises to work hard on having field trips, a batch night, and more interaction among different sections. She is also pushing for the provision of feminine products in female washrooms. 

As we prepared this article, we had a chance to see Lucia “in action,” so to speak, when she presented her initial plans to ACO moderator Mr. Julio Morato (also her IndAK moderator) one busy Friday afternoon. For several minutes, Lucia articulated her plans for her batch project, as Mr. Morato gave her instant feedback about her proposal and told her about the next steps needed to make it happen. 

What was apparent from seeing and listening to Lucia that day was that her main objective as batch rep is to make the boys and girls more comfortable with each other in AJHS. “Kasi sometimes po, the boys are playful and they like making jokes,” she elaborates, “and they end up saying something to the girls that makes them uncomfortable or offends them.” 

After listening to Lucia’s plans, Mr. Morato then shared his initial impression of her: “Lucia has what it takes to achieve her goals,” he says. “She constantly has a smile on her face, injecting positivity into every room she enters, and clearly embodies the competence, tenacity, and willingness-to-serve that define AJHS scholars. And while I have yet to spend much time with her given the recency of the election, she's a welcome presence in the OSA (Office of Student Activities) and the ACO.” 

Mr. Morato believes that Lucia will certainly help to make the AJHS a more female-friendly school. “I believe her contributions will positively impact our processes and annual projects,” he predicts. “As the AJHS transitions to being fully co-ed, her projects and reformations can lay the foundation for making our school a more equitable place for all genders."     

With all that she has on her plate as a student, IndAK member, class president, and batch rep, does this seeming workaholic young girl plan to have fun in AJHS at all? “My goals while in Ateneo are to do my best, enjoy, and explore my high school life,” she says. She clarifies, however, that it is not the work that she is addicted to, but the opportunity to be of service. She doesn’t even discount the possibility that she may run as Sanggu President when she’s in grade 10. “I’d like to serve the school po however I can,” promises Lucia, “and whatever opportunities come my way, I will take.”  

The AJHS can’t wait for the promise that is Lucia-  and many like her - to be fulfilled.