Ateneo welcomes Sr Stella Mary

Ateneo de Manila University opened its doors to Sr Stella Mary who is part of the 2022-2023 cohort of the United Board Fellowship Program. Sr Stella Mary is the current Vice Principal of Stella Maris College in Chennai, India, and is also an assistant professor of economics, focusing on environmental economics, macro and micro economics, and industrial economics. She is slated to become the next head (Principal) of their school in May.

This is the second time this school year that Ateneo hosted a United Board Fellow, with Dr Samrat Bhattacharjee, Dr Jenish Paul, and Dr Varbi Roy also having stayed here last October 2022 under the same program. When asked why she also chose the university, Sr. Stella pointed out that she had heard nothing but good things about Ateneo through her seniors and other colleagues. Upon arriving here last February 14, she looked forward to an insightful experience as well, with Dr Leland Joseph Dela Cruz, current Assistant Vice President for Social Development, Environment, and Community Engagement, as her host.

As incoming head of her school, Sr. Stella Mary expressed interest in learning more about educational administration. By looking at how the Ateneo de Manila University is run by its officials, she was able to gain insight into good practices that they can also implement back in India. The similarities between Ateneo and Stella Maris, such as their commitment to serving the economically and socially marginalized sections of society, and the emphasis placed on holistic development of students, served as starting points for fruitful discussions between Sr Stella Mary and the administrators she met with during her stay at the university.

In her first week, Sr Stella Mary was able to have an audience with Dr Marlu Vilches, Vice President for the Loyola Schools and Officer in Charge of the Office of the Vice President for the Professional Schools, Dr Alvin Ang, Chair of the Economics Department, and Ms Chelsea Carivativo, coordinator of the Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Tradition (InTACT) program. In the following weeks, she met with other school officials such as those from the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI), the Office of Mission and Identity (OMI), the Office of Campus Ministry (OCM) and the Office of Admission and Aid (OAA). On her last week, she met with Fr Bobby Yap SJ, President of the Ateneo de Manila. Aside from engagements within the Ateneo de Manila, she also visited other Catholic universities such as the De La Salle University and Miriam College.

Based on her experiences, Sr Stella Mary intends to adopt some of the best practices in the university, such as its strong formation activities, established systems for student discipline, and robust research capabilities. Aside from having an impressive curriculum that encourages academic excellence for its students, she highlighted the equal emphasis placed on inculcating Ignatian spirituality in both the students and the faculty through initiatives led by the OCM and the OMI. Sr. Stella Mary also appreciated the dedication of students to their extracurricular activities, reflected in their generous offering of talents and skills for organizational endeavors. This illustrated the holistic development experienced by students in the university, allowing them to grow both in academics and their other fields of interest. Finally, the systems and facilities available on campus also make way for a notable research capacity that Sr. Stella Mary wishes to implement in Stella Maris as well. Currently, there are ongoing consultations between some faculty members from Stella Maris and representatives of the research office in Ateneo de Manila to initiate this effort.

When asked about a particular experience that stood out for her at the Ateneo de Manila, Sr Stella Mary mentioned how much she enjoyed having conversations with people on campus. Throughout her stay in the university, she felt the hospitality of everyone, welcoming her very warmly wherever she went. The love for one’s neighbor was reflected strongly in her interactions with people, from the students, to the administrators, and the guards who readily helped her as she moved from one office to another. The campus itself also provided a peaceful and comfortable environment, complemented by solemn masses held at the Immaculate Conception chapel, which gave her the energy to continue on her learning journey.

SrStella Mary returned to India on March 29, but she will certainly take everything she gained from her stay in Ateneo with her, in her mission to form students who are not just academically competent but also spiritually mature.

Photos courtesy of Sr. Stella Mary