Women front and center
Women have come a long way at the Ateneo de Manila University since the university opened its doors to female students in 1973. With their grit, passion and indomitable spirit, female students have changed the landscape not just of an Ateneo education but of society as well.
The university is also home to trailblazing women who continue to be the energizing forces that help direct and influence its educational mission. In celebration of National Women’s Month, four Ateneo alumnae reflect on female leadership.
Dr. Maria Luz Vilches (M.A. English Literature ’77)
Vice President for the Loyola Schools
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned as a female leader?
a. There is power in the gentle assertion of just being (a) woman.
b. Begin the day with prayer and end it with the same.
c. Find the positive even in the most difficult people to deal with, knowing that God also dwells in their hearts.
c. Listening begins with the heart (for discernment) and ends with the mind (for decision-making).
d. Stress is in the inability to let go of what doesn't need control.
e. Intuition is vital in dealing with issues that go beyond rational appreciation.
Who or what encourages you as a leader?
What encourages me as a leader is an environment that has lots of possibilities for creative solutions to concerns. That means having people who are willing to pursue the same vision for the mission. Problems are part of the staple of life. But while I can feel helpless at times, I am not at a loss for hope in arriving at good endings not on my own but with the people that I work with.
Where can we find you on a Sunday morning?
I take time to pray at length on Sunday mornings. That's the first agendum of the day. Then a slow motion towards a relaxing breakfast while listening to quiet surrounding
Atty. Nina Patricia Arroyo (B.S. Management ’93, J.D.’97)
Assistant to the Dean for Administration, Ateneo Law School
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned as a female leader?
I've learned that leadership is not a title or designation. It’s about knowing what you’re capable of and accepting what you’re not. It’s about having the confidence to speak your mind at the right time and place. It’s about recognizing when your help might be needed and learning how to situate yourself with humility and grace to be in a position of service. It’s about making things happen and getting things done with a joyful and grateful heart.
Who or what encourages you as a leader?
My children inspire me to be a better person and to be better at what I do each day because I want to serve as a good role model for them. My husband is my worst critic and best cheerleader at the same time because he does not mince words when he points out my weaknesses and he makes me believe in myself and dream big when I tend to think small. My parents will always be my constant source of inspiration because they showed us, their children, the way of love.
What emboldens me to put my neck on the line is my passion for what is good, fair and just. It is a thorn in the flesh, in a way, because I can get very emotional over things I feel strongly about. I haven't mastered the art of reining myself in and letting my heart work in sync with my head all the time. But in those instances when I'm able to keep things on an even keel, I find that I listen more, I communicate my thoughts better, and the path to reaching a resolution becomes wider.
Where can we find you on a Sunday morning?
When everyone's still asleep and the house is quiet on a Sunday morning, lying on the sofa in the living room to watch the sunrise is my favorite thing. And then I head to the kitchen to whip up a big breakfast.
Ms. Maria Lourdes Benito (A.B. Interdisciplinary Studies ’93, MBA’01)
Assistant to the Dean, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned as a female leader?
Know who you are and what you stand for. Finding yourself and your voice is a powerful thing. It is what allows women to shine, stand tall and weather all that she will face in life with much grace and peace.
Who or what encourages you as a leader?
It is my belief that everyone is called to lead but it is an invitation you say yes to. So life is filled with opportunities to say yes to your mission. I am driven by my belief that God has a specific mission for you and that your life is filled with moments to discover this mission.
Where can we find you on a Sunday morning?
Recharging my spirit with my family. One must have a strong center, a place you return to in order to become whole again so that for the next round of challenges, your spirit is strong and ready.
Ms. Ma. Victoria Dimalanta (A.B. Economics ‘81, MA Education ’96)
Principal, Ateneo de Manila Senior High School
What are some of the lessons you have learned as a female leader?
As a female leader, the most important lesson I have learned is that a woman, because of her innate “womanly” qualities of compassion and understanding, is naturally equipped for leadership. She already does it at home, keeping home and family matters in order and everyone in the family taken care of, and it is a natural extension of this “intuitive” leadership if a woman is also a leader in the workplace.
I believe that the work itself can be done systematically and efficiently, but dealing with the different personalities in the workplace in the biggest challenge for any leader. Speaking for myself, as a woman I have an instinctive sense of “reading” people, and therefore I respond by adjusting my management style to the different personalities I work with.
However, and this is an important point, there is a need to balance this sense of empathy with a healthy dose of objectivity. It is too easy for a woman to take things in the workplace personally, especially when people react in a less than positive way to your efforts. I think we have to realize that however much we are committed to and love our jobs, we have to realize that some things are just work. While there’s a need to make allowances for different personalities, at the end of the day, the work must be done, and more importantly, sometimes we have to leave the work in the office at the end of working hours.
Who or what encourages you as a leader?
‘What encourages me’ is the thought that I am on a mission to help an organization that I love and that I believe in. ‘Who encourage me’ are the people I work with. All around me I see people who are committed and supportive, and every day I see instances of cura personalis and magis in action. ‘Who inspire me’ are our students who are at a decisive point in their lives. As we know it’s not very easy to be a young adult these days, with so many distractions and influences. But what I see in our students is a spark—they want to be productive and they want to contribute to the world. So as a community, we all work toward making the Senior High School a better place to study and work in.
Where can we find you on a Sunday morning?
You’ll find me with my family. We attend morning mass, then have lunch together. I work 6 days a week, my husband is also still working, as are my kids, so Sunday is a time for us to get together as a family.
