Beyond His Dreams

By: Terranya M. Tiamson

Distinguished Alumni Awardee School Level 2015, Norman R. Caraig made STI College Balayan truly proud of his achievements.   

Being physically challenge while his family cannot support his college education, Norman has exerted great fortitude and perseverance in achieving his dreams. He graduated DEP as a scholar of a family friend and earned his bachelor degree juggling his time in studying and working as a student assistant at STI College Balayan. As a working student he still did his share in helping with his family’s finances.

He was a dynamic and responsible student during his college days. He served in the Council of Leaders (the student government of STI College Balayan) for 3 terms as Councilor (2006-2008) and Project Coordinator (2007-2008). He also represented STI Balayan in various computer programming competitions like TESDA Skills Abilympics Skills and STI Tagisan ng Talino (TNT) competitions. He championed the regional and national Abilympics competition that qualified him to represent the Philippines in the Skills Competition in Japan in 2005. He also championed in the TNT Web Warriors competition in 2006. He graduated With Honors and with a Guaranteed Hire Program Award (TESDA Level) in Diploma in Computer Studies (DCS) in 2006. He was also the Student of the Year (SOTY) Awardee in 2006 that prized him the cover page of STIMULI on Feb.2006. The SOTY award was given to students who have excelled in academic and leadership skills inside and outside STI campus and was selected nationwide.

He pursued Bachelor of Science in Computer Science as a student assistant also at STI College Balayan.  As president of YCOMPASS (BSCS student organization) in 2006-2007, he was awarded the Best Club President for successful activities conducted during his term. He graduated with Academic Recognition and Programmer of the Year Award in 2008.

Aside from his academic activities, he also volunteered in the ABS-CBN Halalan Quick Count in 2004 and 2007 and in the PPCRV Quick Count 2007. Today he is an active member of the Knights of Columbus in Balayan Parish.

Currently he works at STI College Balayan as a full-time IT Instructor and System Administrator with TESDA certifications on Assessors’ and Trainers’ Methodology, competency in Computer Programming NCIV and 2D Animation NCIII. He is also an accredited TESDA Assessor in the said competencies.

Norman receives the Distinguished Alumni Award School Level

In 2010, he passed the competency assessment conducted by TESDA Competency Assessment and Certification Office-Manila from the trainers all over the Philippines with NCIII accreditations and he qualified to train in Singapore for the Pedagogical Training in Instructional Design and Delivery.

He is also the trainer for programming of students representing STI in various competitions including TESDA skills and STI TNT. Last April 2014, he coached Jun Bugtong, one of our students who championed the regional TESDA Skills competition and won 2nd Place in Web Design at the Philippine National Skills competition. Last September 2014 he was chosen to participate in the Capability Building Program for Regional Lead Assessor in 2D Game Art Development NCII.

In his years of stay at STI as a student and as an employee he has shown his passion for everything he does and remained loyal to his Alma Mater. With the prestigious awards and certifications he received, various trainings he has attended, he never failed to share with his students the knowledge he has that from a student champion like himself he was able to develop champions among our students too.

From all his achievements he never stopped enhancing his skills and developing his self to be able to deliver well in his profession. He took Master of Science in Information Technology at Batangas State University (2008-2012) and Master of Arts in Information Technology Education at the Lyceum of the Philippines University Batangas (2012-2013) and is currently working on his research.

His STI family believes he has come into a full circle from being an exemplary student, trainer and educator that even his awards cannot equal all the contributions he made to his family and Alma Mater.

“I never dreamed of becoming a Distinguished Alumni, having been awarded as such is beyond my dreams,” Norman stated but nonetheless he was very grateful that his efforts have been appreciated and recognized.