On December 22, 2018, Colégio de Sto Inácio de Loiola (CSIL) in Kasait, Timor-Leste graduated its first cohort of students. Of the 103 graduates, there were 47 boys and 53 girls. Sixty-one graduates were part of the pioneering group of students who enrolled in Kasait even without a single building in August 2012. Their smiles were wide and clear as they marched in their blue toga. Their heads were held up high in triumph over the obstacles they had to face to get to this point – from traveling long distances daily to school to going through the rigorous formation process for the past six or three years.
The first graduation became more special because of the outstanding performance of CSIL in the National Examinations with a 100 per cent passing rate. To the surprise of many, including ourselves, Loiola occupied the top three places in the National Examinations for Senior High, both for the Natural Sciences and Technology track and the Social Sciences and Humanities track. The class valedictorian, Salvador Jubileano Leano Zota Soares, got the highest grade in the National Exams. He is finalising some details for a scholarship in South Korea. The class salutatorian, Geovania Garret Mouzinho Freitas, took the third place; while Melissa da Costa, who earned second honourable mention, took the second place. Both Geovania and Melissa are incoming scholars of Sophia University, the Jesuit university in Tokyo. They will move to Japan in April 2019. We are also very happy because the two students who topped the Social Sciences track, Fernandito (first place) and Alexandrina (third place), are both from the village of Ulmera where Loiola is located. They had their early studies at the nearby public school, and they joined us in Junior High.
There were Jesuits from all over Asia and the Pacific present at the event. We were very grateful for the attendance of Fr Mark Raper SJ, who is responsible for making this Jesuit Education Project a reality. Representatives of the local and national leaders also attended. Parents were clearly happy and proud of their children’s achievement.
At the graduation Mass, Fr Plinio do Rosario Gusmao Martins SJ, the first Director of CSIL, gave a very inspiring homily. As he ended his reflections, he paid tribute to the first five teachers and the two staff members who joined the Jesuits in 2012 to begin the work at Loiola. Being current Director, I gave the Words of Thanks at the end of the liturgy. Fr Joaquim Sarmento SJ, the Regional Superior of the Jesuits in Timor-Leste, was the main presider.
The Graduation Speaker was Mr José Lobato Gonçalves, the Country Manager of ConocoPhillips in Timor-Leste. He is the only son of the late first President of Timor, Nicolau Lobato. He was chosen because he is an alumnus of the Jesuit’s Canisius High School in Jakarta, Indonesia. Many of his relatives are from the district of Liquiça where CSIL is located.
Coincidentally, the recipients of the Loiola Award, the highest award that CSIL gives to the graduates, one boy and one girl, also trace their roots from Liquiça. While they are both residing in Dili, Ivo da Conceição Tilman Ribeiro’s father is from Liquiça, while Geovania Garret Mouzinho Freitas’ mother is also from Liquiça. The Loiola Award is given to the student who shows exemplary performance not only in academics, but also in living out the 4 Cs of Jesuit education: competence, conscience, compassion and commitment. The recipient must be nominated by the graduates, voted by the teachers and confirmed by the School Director. Geovania and Ivo gave very deeply insightful and inspiring messages for all the stakeholders of Loiola and the Jesuit Education Project as a whole.
The speeches were filled with gratitude and special recognition to the many people who have made this project a reality. While we celebrate the academic success, we constantly remind ourselves that the Jesuit Education Project is not just about continuing a tradition of excellence; it is our commitment to the people of Timor-Leste in their efforts towards nation-building.
The graduating class chose as a theme the favourite line of St Ignatius of Loyola in his letters to the earlier missionaries: “Go forth and set the world on fire.” And it is our wish as well, as the first graduates begin a new journey into the world, where life is demanding and complicated. The first batch may have set the academic standards high, but we told them to never stop working for the magis, to give and not to count the cost, all for the Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.
Roberto Boholst SJ
Director, Colégio de Sto Inácio de Loiola
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