By Precious Chyll R. Cabigan | The Paulinian
Cover Photo by Enrico Cabalfin | The Paulinian
The annual PSG Leadership Training with the theme, “Harmony in Leadership: Uniting Voices, Leading Together,” spearheaded by the Student Affairs Office in collaboration with the Paulinian Student Government, was held on August 8 and 9, 2025, at the Levesville Hall and Founders’ Hall, respectively. The two-day leadership training fostered bright ideas and sparked meaningful insights.
During the first day of the training, student leaders were given a background on what it means to be a Paulinian student leader, providing in-depth lessons and guidance on the technicalities that come with it to serve the community better.
In Dr. Francis Calilan’s opening remarks and SAO 101 talk, he mentioned the importance of working in the shadow, stating “… you are not here to own anything but to offer everything.” He also discussed essential details about the Student Affairs Office, saying that it is an office meant to help students and accommodate their needs, not an office to be feared of.
This was followed by Sr. Nicole de Marie Dabalus, Vice President for Christian Formation and Student Services, who spoke about the Paulinian Student Identity. In her talk, she mentioned that a Paulinian Student Leader is a gleaner of potential, who provides encouragement, mentorship, and growth opportunities. She also said that leadership often involves taking bold steps and making difficult decisions.
Moving on to the technicalities, Mr. Oliver Rodriguez discussed “The Concept(s) behind the Paper,” a detailed discussion on how to create a perfect concept paper, which is the first step in every project that a student leader aspires to undertake. In his talk, Mr. Rodriguez discussed the parts of a concept paper: Defining the Paulinian Graduate, Plans of the School, and Realizing the Vision.
Right after, Ms. Carla Mallari introduced the Student Discipline Office, which she will head. She discussed the Student Discipline Code, saying that it is essential for student leaders to abide by the rules set by the university to act as good examples for other students.
After a short break, the training resumed as Dr. Michelle Anne Sto. Tomas discussed “The Fine Line between Influence and Integrity,” focusing her talk on leading with compassion. She also gave a quick activity for student leaders to reflect on their journey.
To end the five insightful talks for day one, a collaborative activity among all PSG Organizations and Councils was conducted. All student leaders took part in creating a SWOT analysis of PSG’s previous year. There were positives as well as negatives, but all of these will be used to produce a strategy for an innovative approach for student leaders to use in planning their activities and events and serving the school community.
The second day of the training began with another thought-provoking discussion with Ms. Myreen P. Ceofe, PhD, RGC, RPsy, LPT, discussing the crucial and beneficial role of being student leaders with her talk, “Beyond the Campus Gates: Leadership and Career Readiness.” She said that leadership and career readiness are similar in terms of their goals, namely, the ability to influence, the capacity to interact and establish good relationships, adaptability and flexibility, and continuous learning.
Subsequently, Dr. Francis Calilan once again took the floor and discussed the special awards for graduation that student leaders can apply for. He discussed the guidelines that students should keep in mind for the Leadership Award.
During the afternoon session, the whole PSG community took part in creating the PSG calendar for 2025-2026. This calendar includes all activities and events of various councils and organizations that will take place within the year. It is also an avenue for student leaders to seek potential collaborations with one another.
Soon after, student leaders were able to apply what they had learned from the fruitful two-day leadership training through a teamwork activity—a scavenger hunt. Despite the heat and fatigue, the student leaders still enjoyed themselves in this activity, which allowed them to collaborate and socialize with their fellow officers, truly reflecting the theme of this year’s PSG Leadership Training—“Harmony in Leadership: Uniting Voices, Leading Together.”
