A single scroll on Facebook was all it took for Jemerson Eugenio, a proud graduate of the Diploma in Language and Literacy Education (DLLE), to bring the heart of the Philippines to a classroom in the United States. Upon spotting a post on the Fulbright Philippines Facebook page, he decided to take a chance and apply. Armed with that courage, he now stands proud as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) assigned to Indiana University (IU) Bloomington. For him, the role is both a massive honor and a significant responsibility. He shares, “Being a cultural ambassador is like being a butterfly, spreading little pollen of our Filipino identity to another land, so it can grow into a beautiful flower appreciated by all.”
Jemerson teaches elementary and intermediate Tagalog at IU Bloomington. All his students are heritage learners, primarily Filipino Americans who seek a deep connection and communication with their families and relatives back in the Philippines. He makes his classes engaging by starting his routine with Tagalog slang and watching famous Pinoy commercials or music videos. He also uses salawikain (proverbs) or bugtong (riddles) for their warm-ups. To keep things even more engaging, the highlight of their week is the “Friday Culture Habit Session,” where students put away textbooks to cook Filipino food, build traditional Christmas parols, and even make live video calls to have conversations with their families in the Philippines. For Jemerson, a native teacher is a living resource who proves that all languages are equal bridges of human curiosity.
Jemerson credits much of his confidence and readiness to his roots at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). His time at UPOU prepared him well, equipping him with modern teaching strategies and the digital literacy to smoothly navigate global learning platforms. He carries this “Tatak UPOU”—a mark of excellence and social responsibility—with him every single day on campus. Looking to the future, Jemerson is excited to take his insights back home to the Philippines. He hopes to introduce fresh ideas to his colleagues at UPOU and across university branches, including the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, the power of translanguaging, and teaching grammar in meaningful contexts. Ultimately, he dreams of a thriving Tagalog program at IU that continues to inspire a community of learners long after his time as a butterfly is done.
Author: Jordanell F. Macalinao
Edited by: Assoc. Prof. Jayson D. Petras, Asst. Prof. Ana Katrina T. Marcial, and Asst. Prof. Charisse T. Reyes