Among the people who genuinely touch our lives are teachers; if we are lucky, we will have at least one who will leave an indelible mark in our memories that last a lifetime.
I was fortunate to have the guidance, twice in my life, of Professor Florinda de Fiesta-Mateo, Ph.D., of the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Mass Communication. She was my thesis adviser in the undergrad and recently one of the panelists at my dissertation proposal defense.
When I was a Communication (major in Journalism) senior at CMC, the teacher handling the thesis subject was Ma’am Florie. Only six years older than we were, she was younger than most of our other professors and not only pretty, but also kind and accommodating without sacrificing her dignity or gravitas, even at that early stage of her career.
Our college was rather more quantitative rather than qualitative in its research approach then, and I had poor, almost non-existent, math skills. We had to employ statistics to analyze data and I had no idea how to go about doing that.
In consultations that surely took up a lot of her time, Florrie patiently guided me and other students in our individual researches as we sought to produce papers that were of value to scholarship by adding to the fount of communication knowledge.
From helping me create a theoretical framework and research methodology to teaching me how to use the chi-square test and crafting a proper survey instrument, she was there for me every step of the way until I proudly presented the College with my hundred-page the thesis, bound in maroon, the final requirement for graduating with a bachelor’s degree.
Years after that, I returned to CMC to pursue a doctoral degree. Last November, Florie agreed to be one of the panelists at my dissertation proposal defense, despite not having much time to go over my draft.
She had only one request – that the defense be scheduled at 8:00 in the morning, because she had a chemotherapy treatment at 11:00.
Florie had, for several years, been quietly batting cancer. A private person, she told few people of her condition. I did not have the privilege of taking doctoral classes under her because she had taken a leave from teaching to undergo treatment during the time I was taking coursework.
But the moment she felt strong enough, she came back to school and took up her many academic duties again. She taught, sat on theses and dissertation panels, conducted research and wrote papers.
At my defense, she looked as vibrant and beautiful as she did almost thirty years ago when I was an undergrad. Her comments were measured, insightful, profound, and easy to understand, providing strong directional guidance for my research.
It was with shock that I received the news of her passing last Apr. 18. Her keen mind and kind heart, now still forever; what a loss, what a great and dismal loss not only to family and friends and her immediate community, but to the world in general, that has lost another knowledge-maker and –bearer, another gentle soul who sought to ease the lives of others.
There are tributes to her everywhere – on television, in newspapers, online. That is because many of us now working in media were her students, and loved her, and will miss her, and are grateful for all that she unselfishly gave us throughout thirty years of service at UP.
In our work, in our minds, in our hearts, she will live on. That is Florie’s immortality. In our research, in our writing, in the critical processes of our mind, in our service to others, is Florie’s legacy.
***
Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Blog: http://jennyo.net