My name is Arthur Williams Nebrao, Jr., SJ. I will be turning 29 years old this November. I grew up as an adopted child in Zamboanga City, but for the past eight years, I was staying here in Manila. On 1998 I graduated BS in Computer Science at Ateneo de Zamboanga University. After college, I taught for one year in the same school teaching Systems Analysis and Basic programming. I also maintain the school system as part of my staff load.
After some time of discernment, I volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines. This is a lay organization which sends volunteers as teachers, youth organizer, pastoral workers, NGO program officers, campus ministers and social workers to different poor areas in the country. I was then assigned with Philippine Jesuit Prison Service in the New Bilibid Prisons. I served as a rehabilitation officer for the soon-to-be-released-prisoners under the Pre-Release Rehabilitation program. For the latter part of my stay, I was one of the organizers of Juvenile Assistantcy Program which aims to foster rehabilitation for youth offenders in Bilibid. Proud to say our efforts gave way for the effectively of the Juvenile Delinquency Law and the abolition of death penalty in the country. I stayed there for two wonderful and fruitful years before I enter the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus on 2001 as a Prenovice.
Presently I am a Jesuit Scholastic taking up MA Philosophy in Ateneo de Manila as part of the two year Philosophy formation program. Hopefully after this school year, I will be sent for the two year Regency formation program which gives us the opportunity to teach basic education in the different Ateneo schools or to do mission work in Cambodia or East Timor. This is all part of the eleven years formation program of the Society of Jesus.
Since I have accomplished enough Philosophy courses since I have started, I was asked to take the eighteen units of Education in order to take the licensure as well as to use these foundations in education during my regency work.
Presently, I don’t teach any class. But what I can share is that we are assigned in different apostolates. My primary apostolate is moderating the Ateneo Christian Life Community (ACLC). This is a student organization in the Loyola Schools which focuses on three aspects of formation: prayer, community, and apostolate. The consolation I am experiencing with ACLC is guiding and experiencing the magnanimity of the youth in proclaiming God’s love and social justice to the poor. My secondary apostolate comes in the form of spiritual direction, retreat and recollection giving, as well as doing multi-media projects for the various offices in the Province. If I may include, it is really a challenge and a grace to guide these gifted and unique souls as they journey in their own life. I may not be teaching but I have close contact with students as a moderator of ACLC and in the process I could help the students realize their giftedness.
Arthur W. Nebrao, Jr., SJ
Ma Ph
5 August 2006
for Education of the Gifted
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