Diana Aviado isn’t your typical student body president. Woven from a different cloth, this UP transferee didn’t even envision being in this position when she first got here.
“Much like everyone, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.”
An AB Literature major in her 3rd year, Aviado experienced some growing pains while she was in UP, where she took up AB Malikhaing Pagsusulat and soon realized how toxic the culture there could be.
“I didn’t really like it. I felt that I wasn’t learning; the culture wasn’t conducive for me.”
Under pressure to perform and being led in different directions by her peers, Aviado felt that she was being overburdened instead of being allowed to grow and after three years in UP she transferred to Kalayaan hoping to take a moment and catch up to the changes in college.
“I felt fortunate that when I transferred here, they gave me the time to think. It was so laidback here and I was really able to just relax and focus.”
She heard of Kalayaan College President Jose Abueva’s focus on student development, and was impressed by the faculty’s heavy-hitters.
“We’re very blessed with the administration in our school. The level of our faculty… they’re the best at what they do.”
However, Aviado truly embraced Kalayaan when she met the students.
“What really impressed me were the people here. I was welcomed. Everybody knew everybody and no matter how different you are, Kalayaan people accepted that.”
Aviado is a poet, and often reads her work in poetry nights held by UP organizations.
“My friends here in Kalayaan would go to my readings and just give their support. My friends in UP, they’d often excuse themselves, and I would understand, but Kalay people, they’d go out of their way just to show their support.”
This made her realize how special the student body is.
“They were very incredible, and I saw a lot of potential in them.”
Invigorated by the encouragement she immediately felt from her friends in the school, she became involved in school activities and landed the Public Relations Officer position in the student council last year. Her participation hearkened back to her high school days in Jose Abad Santos Memorial School, where she was a class president, an organizer of fund-raisers and events, an active member of the theater group and a “Ferris Bueller” type who was friends with everyone.
She was initially apprehensive about joining the student council, but Anna Salgado, the student body president during Aviado’s tenure as PRO, urged her to take part.
“(Salgado) really pushed me. I mean, she was like a mentor who made sure that I was focused, that I was doing things for the right reasons.”
Now that she holds the reins, the new president wants everyone to experience the change that she went through in order to be an active student in Kalayaan.
“When I was accommodated by my friends here, I felt as if I blossomed here, and I want our fellow students to experience that, and maybe then we’ll start getting more involvement.”
This new direction, she feels, will launch the culture necessary to get more participation from the supportive yet passive student body.
“It takes a while to get other people involved, but I think little things matter.”
The little things she says, will be film showings, school events, group discussions and possible poetry nights for the students to sink their teeth into.
“I don’t think events are trivial. Once you get people to participate, that’s a connection. Slowly, we can get everyone to come out of their shells.”
What Aviado envisions is simple; a student body that is connected and involved, and from there she believes that the foundation is set for higher goals.
“If we can help better their memories in college, then that’s already an achievement. But from there, you can push them harder: be more active, be more serious with academics… I’m hoping that soon we can find that balance for our students, academically and in extra-curricular activities.”
She hopes that she’ll leave a legacy that will serve as a foundation for others.
“I know my ways of helping and I’m hoping that what I do will spark others to do the same.”
An AB Literature major in her 3rd year, Aviado experienced some growing pains while she was in UP, where she took up AB Malikhaing Pagsusulat and soon realized how toxic the culture there could be.
“I didn’t really like it. I felt that I wasn’t learning; the culture wasn’t conducive for me.”
Under pressure to perform and being led in different directions by her peers, Aviado felt that she was being overburdened instead of being allowed to grow and after three years in UP she transferred to Kalayaan hoping to take a moment and catch up to the changes in college.
“I felt fortunate that when I transferred here, they gave me the time to think. It was so laidback here and I was really able to just relax and focus.”
She heard of Kalayaan College President Jose Abueva’s focus on student development, and was impressed by the faculty’s heavy-hitters.
“We’re very blessed with the administration in our school. The level of our faculty… they’re the best at what they do.”
However, Aviado truly embraced Kalayaan when she met the students.
“What really impressed me were the people here. I was welcomed. Everybody knew everybody and no matter how different you are, Kalayaan people accepted that.”
Aviado is a poet, and often reads her work in poetry nights held by UP organizations.
“My friends here in Kalayaan would go to my readings and just give their support. My friends in UP, they’d often excuse themselves, and I would understand, but Kalay people, they’d go out of their way just to show their support.”
This made her realize how special the student body is.
“They were very incredible, and I saw a lot of potential in them.”
Invigorated by the encouragement she immediately felt from her friends in the school, she became involved in school activities and landed the Public Relations Officer position in the student council last year. Her participation hearkened back to her high school days in Jose Abad Santos Memorial School, where she was a class president, an organizer of fund-raisers and events, an active member of the theater group and a “Ferris Bueller” type who was friends with everyone.
She was initially apprehensive about joining the student council, but Anna Salgado, the student body president during Aviado’s tenure as PRO, urged her to take part.
“(Salgado) really pushed me. I mean, she was like a mentor who made sure that I was focused, that I was doing things for the right reasons.”
Now that she holds the reins, the new president wants everyone to experience the change that she went through in order to be an active student in Kalayaan.
“When I was accommodated by my friends here, I felt as if I blossomed here, and I want our fellow students to experience that, and maybe then we’ll start getting more involvement.”
This new direction, she feels, will launch the culture necessary to get more participation from the supportive yet passive student body.
“It takes a while to get other people involved, but I think little things matter.”
The little things she says, will be film showings, school events, group discussions and possible poetry nights for the students to sink their teeth into.
“I don’t think events are trivial. Once you get people to participate, that’s a connection. Slowly, we can get everyone to come out of their shells.”
What Aviado envisions is simple; a student body that is connected and involved, and from there she believes that the foundation is set for higher goals.
“If we can help better their memories in college, then that’s already an achievement. But from there, you can push them harder: be more active, be more serious with academics… I’m hoping that soon we can find that balance for our students, academically and in extra-curricular activities.”
She hopes that she’ll leave a legacy that will serve as a foundation for others.
“I know my ways of helping and I’m hoping that what I do will spark others to do the same.”
Kodah Godarzi (left) and Diana Aviado (right) during Freshmeet