Jac Lopez

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and what were you doing before arriving at THINK Global School?

I am Jac–a traveler, educator, counselor, friend, daughter, sister, and auntie hailing from the Pearl of the Orient, The Philippines. In the past decade or so, I’ve had the greatest privilege to be a part of my students’ journey towards discovering their own unique destinies. In doing so, I became a pitstop in their stories, where we envisioned their plans, built on their strengths, and realize their dreams with an equal dose of hard work and passion.

2. What are your favorite aspects of your job?

What inspires me about my work is the chance to know people’s stories. Basically, allowing people to open up and share their perspective, context, and how they came to be, is a thrilling and fulfilling job. Drawing out an understanding of oneself and communicating it so that others may appreciate what you can bring to the table is the goal. Our lives can be described as a collection of stories that allow us to grow and become, and that idea truly excites me.

3. What aspects of THINK Global School’s educational model do you find most appealing?

The shared experience aspect of the model is what I find most appealing. I’ve had the opportunity to travel with my students in the past, which has allowed me to develop a strong bond with them even beyond our time together in school. I believe there’s something amazing that happens when people travel & learn together; the trust among you grows effortlessly.

4. If you could make one major change to global education, what would it be?

That we continue to work hard to blur the borders and limitations that exist due to previous notions and practices in education.

5. Which of our core values do you feel you most embody, and why?

Empathy: as a counselor, I am proud to have developed this throughout my career because of the nature of my job, which I also think has always been in me. I find that I possess an understanding of others that goes beyond what they initially present through compassion and respect. Meraki: as I always say to my nieces and students, ‘allow yourself to indulge in experiencing the state of “flow” (a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity), and you will find what truly brings you joy.’ Many times in my lifetime, I have allowed myself to experience this state in my career; I love being an educator, I love being a counselor, it’s a great way to live a life with purpose–a purpose that is always beyond yourself, but remains intrinsically motivating. This is also why I think I landed in this field because life is too short to be doing something that you don’t love and can’t get lost in.

6.  What is your most memorable travel experience thus far?

In 2019, I had the opportunity to travel to Mumbai, India, to attend a College Counseling conference. I was able to join the conference as a scholar and met so many people from diverse backgrounds. It was truly an amazing experience because out of all the destinations I’ve been to; this one is where I was really able to immerse myself in the culture and the place–both the good and the not so good. I recognized my own need to reflect on how culture, once you know more about it, can really inspire me to grow.

7. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Greenland

8. What is your favorite book, and why?

Reflections in a Goldfish Tank by Theodore Isaac Rubin, whenever I am stuck, I pick it up, open it randomly and read a couple of reflections, and for some reason, his words allow me to recenter & move forward. It’s always a good reminder not to take life too seriously.