A decade of seeing her lovely students graduate in college, teaching them and preparing them for their career. She is an educator who has inspired many lives and still continues to do so. Proudly, Ms. Desiree Cendaña-Perreras is an Information Technology Professor at PHINMA University of Pangasinan. Since starting her teaching career in 2007, she has enjoyed being with students and helping them become better through education.

Like many, Desiree went through her fair share of hardships. Coming from a low income family with 13 siblings, she witnessed how hard her parents worked to pay for their education. She found inspiration in her Grade 4 teacher who treated her as her own child and provided her with guidance for six years. She decided to pursue a career as an IT Professor to make an impact on people’s lives, similar to how technology impacts the lives of many people.

Being an IT professor is challenging as technology keeps innovating and she has to cope with it. “The pace of change in software, programming languages, information resources and the course content is rapid, especially with the evolution of the internet and the information has grown. IT professors also need to be flexible and adaptive,” Desiree shared. She frequently consults other professors and strategized new teaching styles. She was able to appreciate the importance of imposing a policy inside the classroom, particularly in subjects that require computer engagement.

But she was not always a student favorite. She was dubbed a “terror” from being strict in class. But when one of her students was having difficulties, she provided her with everything she needed, including online activities and consultations even after office hours. She almost cried when the student thanked her for her efforts and began doing well in class. “This even gave me the realization that my teaching strategies and personality can still be changed only when I put myself into the lives of my students. These are the moments when I am shaped to be a real teacher to my students.”

In 2014, she was sent by PHINMA UPang to Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where she earned her Masters degree in Information Studies. She now has three published papers in different international conferences and is earning her doctorate degree. Throughout her successes, Prof. Desiree Cendaña-Perreras remains true to her principles. “Giving yourself time to understand [your students] is not a mistake,” she shared. “My success as a teacher is not met until all my students are provided with the opportunity to succeed.”