And the best of them is Faith …

Katherine Faith Adalem Maddela-Bustos. Does it ring a bell? At a glance, maybe not. But when you get more up-close and personal, you will discover that there’s more to the name that spells her good fate which is anchored on faith.

Yes, Katherine Faith, surely embodies all the Christian virtues of love, hope and faith, but faith – it is, that catapulted her to the pinnacle of success when she was selected as one of the 10 lucky awardees out of the multitudes of best Philippine mentor nominees to win in the 2016  Metrobank Foundation, Inc. Search for Outstanding Teachers, a nationwide annual recognition program that honors the best shining examples of unstinting dedication, competence and commitment to the teaching profession.

“Excellence begins from ourselves,” thus declared Kathy in her early memory gems which clearly manifests her faith in herself and other individuals.

“A developed individual can help his fellow individual to be as developed as himself. In this case, we can build a developed community until we build an excellent country.”

Does her voice sound familiar? Yes, if we take a closer look at the main objectives of the Metrobank Foundation’s search, we can surmise the gift of her fated message then as a foreshadowing of her fated contribution to the country’s main thrusts through her chosen field of education.

To cap her foreboding visions, we quote her once more: “We, the individuals, are not only considered as the building blocks of our country. We are also compared to the foundation of a building. Without the foundation, the building would collapse easily. With individuals as the foundation, we can attain excellence for our country.”

These prophetic lines are taken from her award-winning essay in the National Youth Congress at Teacher’s Camp Baguio City, where she represented the AC Science High School in the on-the spot essay writing contest besting about 640 other essayists of the country in the English category. Katherine Faith was then the Editor-in-Chief of the H.S. Paragon.

As a Campus Student Organization adviser, coach and Dean of Student Affairs then, I had the rare privilege of witnessing Ms. Madella’s amazing transformation, from prolific childhood in the AC Elementary School where she graduated as First Honors, her teen-blossoming in the AC Science High School as a Salutatorian, to mature adulthood metamorphosis brightly shining in the tertiary school, still at Aldersgate College, where she gained most of her laurels.

Now, let us take her more seriously. She had occupied major positions in different student organizations such as President of the Supreme Student Council, College of Arts, Sciences and Education Supreme Council, Scholars and Service Grantees Society, Speech and Drama Club and Student Crime Prevention Council.

She was inevitably the Editor-in-Chief of the College Paragon for two consecutive years from 2002-2003 and 2003-2004.

At the Louisian National Campus Journalism Seminar-Workshop, Katherine Faith pegged first place in Feature Writing and third place in Sports Writing in the PENSTROKE 2003. Through her leadership, the College PARAGON won as Best Publication in the Newsletter Category.

Then at the Luzonwide Press Conference, she grabbed these awards: 3^rd place Copyreading and Headline Writing (English) while at the Regional Tertiary Press Conference, she settled for 3^rd place in Copyreading and Headline Writing (English), 4^th place in Photojournalism, 8^th place in Feature Writing (English) and Individual Highest Pointer for Feature Writing and Sports Writing while the PARAGON settled for 2^nd place in Best Feature Page (English).

I was with her as her coach-adviser in the National Congress for College Students for two consecutive years from 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 where she won 4^th place in Tuklas Talino (Quiz Bee), one of top 10 finalists in the Impromptu Speech and Essay Writing Contests and one of the editors of the Congress Balita Newsletter.

Because of her outstanding and exemplary feats in academics, co- and extracurricular activities and community-spiritual services, Ms. Maddela proved to be a great booster in the attainment of the goals and objectives of the Student Personnel Services and the school in general during those fateful years of her colorful stint in the College.

Her outstanding and exemplary performance boosted her to gain the top awards upon her graduation in the BSED course of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education in the year 2004. These included: Founder’s Medal for Academic Excellence (for Top Graduate), Curricular Achievement Award in Education, Excellence in Leadership, Excellence in Journalism, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Achievement Award in Leadership, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Achievement Award in Academic Excellence; Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines, Regional Level; and, Top 4 Awardee TOSP Nominee, National Level Search.

These numerous awards and accolades plus many other relatively minor awards and citations she had received which, when we mention them all would take us kilometric pages, were more than enough credentials to ensure her automatic employment in pursuance of her chosen profession.

True enough, for she was instantly absorbed as a Secondary School Teacher at Solano High School for two years and then at the Nueva Vizcaya General Comprehensive High School, Bayombong. At the same time, she enrolled and finished with flying colors her Master of Education Degree at NVSU Bayombong Campus with Best Masteral Thesis Award and finally her Doctor of Education degree at NVSU Bambang Campus garnering with Distinction Award.

Whew! A real whirlwind of achievements!

As if these were not enough, she was also awarded as 2015 Outstanding Master Teacher 1 and a passer of the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads or Principal Test.

Her latest victories include her feats in Community Services that involve her journalism and technological acumen. She was the Editor-in-Chief of the 2016 CAVRAA Bulletin and NV Flash, contributor of IP Voice, and the Brigada Eskwela Bulletin 2016. She is currently a Master Teacher 1 at NVGCHS and a part-time Professor at Aldersgate College Graduate School.

The fate of Faith as one of the Philippine’s Ten Outstanding Teachers was strongly backed up and supported by her innovation in the field of teaching. She advocated the blended learning approach which promotes the integration of online and face-to-face environments. She pioneered the NVGCHS English online Facebook page through which the academic discussions continued on line leading to better performance of the students. She also organized the Tuesday Reading Clinic which aimed to assess students’ reading levels and improve their reading skills.

The Governor of the province congratulated Katherine Faith through a letter that reads: “Thank you for putting our province in the limelight. Your selfless dedication in the teaching profession as manifested in your remarkable accomplishments became instrumental in your garnering one of the 10 slots in the recently concluded search.” MBFI President Aniceto “Chito” Mangahas Sobrepeña likewise congratulated the search winners in his upholding Katherine Faith’s prophetic message in that award-winning national essay earlier mentioned as he echoed: “Teachers are the backbone of nation-building efforts. Through their use of effective teaching strategies and their involvement in community projects outside the classroom, they are able to mold the next generation of Filipinos to work for social progress.”

To which Madam Kathy remarked humbly, “I never expected this award much less to be nominated as MBFI’s Outstanding Teacher. I just did my best in everything I do as part of my job and responsibility. With or without this award, I will continue to press on toward the goal as a teacher – giving not just quality education but a better future for the young people of this nation.” Her motherly figure in the campus augurs well with her students as her children for Kathy is blessed with two kids – Aries Khristian, 19, 4^th year College BSIT student of Aldersgate College and Ascher Keith, 16, Grade 10 also at AC. She is the daughter of the late Ariston L. Maddela and Dr. Prescilla Esperanza A. Soriano, the President of Aldersgate College. Out of a record-breaking 534 nominees in the 32-year history of the Search, Dr. Katherine Faith Adalem Maddela-Bustos joins the ranks of 346 outstanding teachers who have been honored by the foundation since 1985.

The best of times.

Never losing her sight on her dreams, she turned her childlike visions into mature realities by keeping her faith in herself, in people and most of all, in God.

Indeed, the fate of Madam Katherine Faith is anchored best on Faith.#bcd