Posted by DEC Los Angeles on 09/04/2024
As part of the week of Santo Tomás, the Los Ángeles campus had the honor of receiving two prominent figures from Santo Tomás, Esther Gómez de Pedro, National Director of Training and Identity, and Francisca Ibarra Infante, National Director of General Training. This visit, framed within the activities of Santo Tomás, underlined the importance of comprehensive training and the transmission of the hallmark values to students.
The day began with an emotional mass presided over by the newly appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Santa María de Los Ángeles, Monsignor Cristian Castro, who officiated the ceremony in the Aula Magna of the headquarters. This space, packed with students and staff, was the setting where, assisted by the chaplain of the Los Ángeles headquarters, Father Alexis Sandoval López, they prayed for the education and future of our students.
After the mass, Esther Gómez and Francisca Ibarra shared breakfast with Monsignor Castro and various authorities of the campus, in an atmosphere of dialogue and camaraderie. Among those present were the Rector, Roger Sepúlveda Carrasco; the Academic Director of the UST, Rodrigo Mosquera Sáez, the Director of Formation and Identity (i) Ángela Vergara Ureta, and the Director of Student Affairs, Angélica Calderón Matute. This meeting allowed for closer ties and discussion about the educational mission of the institution, as well as future projections in the area of formation and identity. The coordinator of pastoral care of Los Ángeles, Tamara Illanes Muñoz, and a student from the same group participated alongside them.
One of the most significant moments of the visit was the meeting with a group of students, where the national guests had the opportunity to hear first-hand the students’ impressions regarding the training area and the transmission of Thomasine values. The students shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations, enriching the dialogue and providing a fresh vision on the impact of comprehensive training on their personal and academic development.
Lunch was another key part of the day, held in conjunction with the directors and coordinators of the transversal areas of the three institutions that make up Santo Tomás Los Ángeles. This meeting focused on the importance of inter-institutional collaboration and the development of joint strategies to strengthen training in fundamental disciplines such as English, mathematics, language and, of course, formation and identity. The exchange of ideas and experiences among the participants resulted in an enriching conversation about the future of education at the campus.
Then, the national authorities went to Radio Regina Coelli, in the Bishopric, where they recorded the first program of the Youth Ministry of Santo Tomás Los Ángeles, Voices that Inspire, which was broadcast on Friday, August 30, kicking off the initiative.
The day ended with a meeting with the teachers of the same, where topics related to the implementation of innovative methodologies and the importance of integrating the Thomasine values in every aspect of the curriculum were discussed. Esther Gómez and Francisca Ibarra stressed the importance of teachers not only being transmitters of knowledge, but also referents in the experience of the principles that define the Thomasine community.
The visit of the National Directors left a deep mark on Santo Tomás Los Ángeles, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to comprehensive training and the strengthening of the Tomasina identity at all educational levels. The day’s activities served as a reminder of the shared mission of educating with excellence and humanism, preparing students not only to be competent professionals, but also citizens committed to the common good.
