Words are magic. Read and master them, and you become a wizard, kind of. True, it is not like the mystical ones that we see in the movies, but words can do wondrous things: change lives, build careers, and of course, tell a story. With that, here is a tale of someone who dabbled and has become a magus of words–Sir Dexter S.Villamin.
Dexter, or Sir Dex, has been a lover of words ever since he was young. A voracious reader, he has brought this up until he grew up. Reading children’s books, short stories, poems, novels, and more, he has probably read hundreds, if not thousands of these. Knowing authors, local and abroad as if they were old friends.
This love then naturally turned into a will to create, and so he also became a weaver of words. And so started his career in Journalism, an illustrious one, and has stayed with him until today. From high school, he has been a journalist and has competed and made it to regional competitions. In college, he continued and became a member of The Luzonian, where he bloomed to become a part of the editorial board and is a qualifier of LHEPC, the Luzonwide contest for campus journalism. Now, he is one of the advisers of the publication.
This ascent has not been limited to the field of journalism, because from his graduation in 2013 as a Bachelor of Secondary Education – English major, he became a professor in the College of Education (CED), for 8 years he has been serving the University. Adding to his plethora of achievements, he has become one of the few editors of the theses produced in the EU; an Auditor, who evaluates other faculty, and audits or observes classes; and also one of the faculty with the highest faculty evaluation every semester. To date, he is the current Research Coordinator of CED, the adviser of the Council of English Enthusiasts (CEE), an organization in the college, and is in the process of finishing his Master’s degree. These are but a few of his many endeavors and victories.
Still, despite the seriousness and weight of his held posts and achievements,“good vibes and new learnings” are what comes to the mind of Mr. John Rover Sinag, adviser and former editor-in-chief of The Luzonian when describing Sir Dex. Even if the conversation is casual, you’ll learn something, he added.
Fun to be around, generous in giving ideas and treating, and family-oriented, Sinag further described. Having worked with them as a co-adviser and also being an advisee in his time as an EIC, he has experienced a lot with and has known Sir Dex deeply.
Another, Pauline Mae Orinday, president of CEE shared that she’s always in awe of his intelligence, and says that he is “very supportive not only as our adviser but also as an inspiring leader,” and that “He doesn’t only command, he works with us.” For Orinday, as an English major handled by Sir Dex, has made her realize the importance of reading and has inspired her to do so, and he doesn’t look at his class as just students, but as future educators already.
Sir Dexter is also a testament to professionalism and ethics, for according to Erika Marca, the current editor-in-chief of The Luzonian, he is funny but is very technical when it comes to critiquing. But added that even if it’s “work is work” for him, he doesn’t leave the fun out of the equation.
Marca also revealed a little experience that she had, when she first saw him, that he looked like a serious type. But when she got to know him, she was able to witness the lighter side of Sir Dex.
To add, I am also one of the people who have had the honor to be mentored by him. He has influenced and convinced me to join The Luzonian, a thing that I have never regretted. As a professor, he was both strict and lenient, making sure that our classmates learned what we had to know about the field and much more.
His magic has touched the lives of many, and there will certainly be more as the years go on. His ascent to glory is far from over, Sir Dexter Villamin, the man of words, and his life built on it will surely be more than a short story or a novel, it’ll be an epic.
