By Jysel Ashley Ayop
On 8 February, 125 group leaders of the XU National Service Training Program (NSTP) participated in the program-led Team Leaders Formation Session held in several classrooms of the XU School of Business and Management and College of Agriculture buildings.
The session kicked off with a personal presentation where participants shared their stories and leadership experiences in the classroom setting. Various exchanges about how the National Service Training Program shaped their identity of becoming a leader were discussed.
The NSTP Team Leaders Formation Session opens its doors to cultivating young and aspiring students on their path to leadership. “Mao ni akong first major [leadership] role since being a research leader,” shares NSTP NF student Lhugen Mickael Quicho (BS Nursing-1).
For Rhyza Mayz Arandilla (BSBA-1), a student of NSTP XH, she notes that leadership is not a simple task. She sees leadership to be imbued in responsibility and capability. “It’s never just a coincidence to be assigned as a leader […] it’s about handling, guiding, and growing with others,” Arandilla emphasizes.
To further enrich the participants’ understanding of leadership, four input talks were delivered. Input 1 focused on what leadership is, and emphasized how leading is not about title or position. Input 2, themed, “DISC Leadership” investigated the d traits of the participants on whether they were dominant, influential, steady, and/or conscientious. As for Inputs 3 and 4, lectures about conflict management and First Principle and Foundation by St Ignatius were held.
NSTP EDA student, Joash Gabriel Nalitan (BSEd-1), talks about his key takeaways from the formation session: “Leadership is not about titles, positions, or professions—it is about influence, vision, and the courage to inspire others.”
As for NSTP BA student Marzeeya Lao (BS Biology-1), she shares her lessons learned about leadership considering its nature and aspects. “Leadership itself is universal and innate in nature […] every individual is a leader in their own way,” Lao stresses.
David John Caballero (BSBA-2), NSTP student volunteer, also expresses his experience in helping facilitate the session after being a former NSTP classroom leader the year prior. “I learned a lot about the experiences of other team leaders and how they handled scenarios,” Caballero shared.
The training wrapped up with a synthesis and photo opportunity with the participants. The next formation session for the NSTP student-leader participants is scheduled to take place in April 2025.
