Dear QUT,
It might be a bit late to write you this letter but I just want you to know how grateful I am to experience your brand of transforming people for the better.
I met you in 2011 when I joined an Australian Leadership Awards Fellowship on “Policy Development, Implementation, Advocacy and Monitoring and Evaluation of Disability Inclusive Programs and Legislations in the Philippines” and reunited with you again in 2013 through the Public Sector Linkages Programs on “Developing a Results Framework on Disability in the Philippines.”
During this time, you gave me a deeper appreciation of how it is to be independent not only with my everyday life activities as well as with my decision-making skills, especially in times of big challenges. You showed me how to respect one’s intellectual domain and respect for quality and excellence in everything that we do. And above all, you made me a strong advocate in my line of work for persons with disabilities at the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) and as an educator in one of the universities here in our country.
Upon my return, I kept my promise to make use of what I learned from you in the best way I can.
As an academician and to support my work at NCDA, I lobbied the concerns of persons with disabilities in the school’s research agenda and research works. For the past few years, I was able to influence a number of students to conduct researches focusing mostly on positive portrayals of persons with disabilities and other disability-relevant concerns. I also introduced a module on ethical standards in using disability and persons with disabilities as media subjects which was later incorporated in the syllabus of our subject on Laws and Ethics of Mass Media. In my Public Relations and Advertising subjects, I always sell the idea of making use of topics on disability and persons with disabilities as case studies, which resulted to an increased awareness and consciousness on disability and persons with disabilities among my students.
Last year, I had this opportunity to be invited as a resource person to orient a number of students and faculty on disability, which aimed at making the school environment friendly to persons with disability. And just the other night (August 29), I received another invitation to speak before a group of student leaders and some university professors and personnel on “Inclusive Approaches in Dealing with Persons with Disabilities” on September 27.
I know that I would not have had all these opportunities without you. For now, I just want you to know that the knowledge that I gained plus the life-changing journey that you let me experience will always be a part of me and will always be a living inspiration.
I just hope that when you receive this letter, you are in high spirit of continuously transforming lives of people for the better. Please accept my sincerest thanks.
Sincerely,
Miguel Antonio P. Limon
A true-blooded QUTian
Photo source: https://www.ncda.gov.ph/2014/06/
