The 2019 SOAR Model Organizations

At the heart of Ateneo de Manila University’s mission is to form students who are technically proficient, innovative, culturally sensitive, global in perspective, transdisciplinary in approach, and passionately committed to national development. This mission lies at the heart of SOAR, the recently launched Student Organizations Assessment and Review system which replaced the old performance management system for student organizations, hence exhibited concretely in our 56 accredited student organizations. These organizations, through their meaningful projects and efforts, have contributed to the holistic development of student leaders and the communities they serve.
 
Among these student organizations, there are those who embody this excellence in a most exemplary way. Proven by their exceptional conduct and performance in SOAR, from the accomplishment of the Self-Assessment Questionnaire to the submission of their Stakeholders Meeting output, as well as their active engagement with the Loyola Schools student activities community, these organizations never failed to uphold the 19 core determinants of SOAR described in its four central elements: Wholehearted Leadership and Membership Formation, Excellent Organization Capacity, Genuine Organization Motivation, and Positive External Environment Impact.  
 
Last June 21 during Hinirang: The SOAR Recognition Gala at the Leong Hall Auditorium, the Office of Student Activities proudly distinguished four model student organizations who have embodied these qualities and have championed specific SOAR core determinants. These four organizations were awarded the 2019 SOAR Model Organization Award for garnering excellent marks on their SOAR performance and actively contributing to the transformation of the Loyola Schools student activities landscape.

 
Ateneo Management Economics Organization (MEcO)

 Amidst the pressure and demand to perform at a high level, this organization has been steadfast in always trying to do things the right way. They proceeded with a sense of genuine humility, as manifested in their active effort to engage with the Office of Student Activities through constant consultations and dialogue. Serving as an example to its fellow student organizations, they conduct all efforts and initiatives following proper and effective financial management. Committed to making the right investments to achieve maximum impact, this organization has built meaningful relationships among its members as it consciously creates an organization culture conducive to learning. The organization continues to engage its stakeholders in relevant collaboration as it goes beyond promoting mere financial literacy. From mentoring fellow students in the Loyola Schools to coaching the young entrepreneurs of Ateneo Grade School, and even going out to teach students in public elementary schools on how to take care of their finances, this organization aims to impart the value of investing in one’s self in the spirit of national development. This year, MEcO has risen to prove that anything worth doing is worth doing right.

Committed to being of service to the community of young leaders they belong in, the organization has placed learning and innovation at the forefront of their organization. Brought about by their rigorous member formation and training programs, they have always ensured maximized technical proficiency hence they are able to provide meaningful services and maintain sustainable relationships with their partner organizations within and beyond the Loyola Schools community. Their commitment to national development shows in their efforts to provide training programs most especially to those whose access to these resources are limited. This year, they were able to champion creativity and innovation by transforming their own systems and inspiring other organizations to dialogue and come up with more creative solutions to identified problems. Always in the pursuit of empowering fellow youth organizations, CODE serves as a living testament that service is not just about what you do to help others, but it is also when you are challenging and inspiring others to be of service to other people as well.

This organization exhibits excellence in everything that they accomplish and achieve. This can easily be observed with the recognition they have earned through their stellar performance in the various competitions they have won. Exhibited in their technical proficiency with their organization’s core competencies, they are considered one of the top ranking teams in the world. Moreover, this same excellence is clearly demonstrated through the quiet strength of the organization in the past few years showcasing its consistency and compliance to the guidelines for student activities and how well they managed linkages and partnerships. Their exceptional stability in delivering quality projects in the field of competitive debating and debate education that aim to educate the Filipino youth in the discipline of public speaking and productive thought emphasizes the organization’s commitment to national development. Because of these, ADS is a testament that excellence entails doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.
 
Proven by their exemplary performance in SOAR and all its core determinants, these four organizations serve as models of excellence in championing the mission of Ateneo formation.