The 2025 Pre-Service Teachers’ Pinning Ceremony of the University of Baguio School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA) was more than just a formal gathering—it was a milestone that marked the shift of education students from classroom learning to real-life teaching practice. The goal of the program was simple but powerful: to remind future teachers of the values of competence, service, and compassion as they prepare to guide the next generation of learners.
A Commitment to Quality Education
The celebration ties directly to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education. By recognizing and preparing pre-service teachers, the event contributes to ensuring that every child has access to dedicated, skilled, and values-driven educators. In short, it’s about preparing teachers who can make quality education a reality.
The University of Baguio has long been committed to advancing SDG 4 by building a strong Teacher Education Program that not only trains future educators in subject expertise but also shapes their values of service, empathy, and integrity. Through initiatives like the Pinning Ceremony, UB emphasizes that teacher preparation is more than academic—it is also moral, social, and deeply connected to the community. The University continues to strengthen partnerships with local schools, provide experiential learning opportunities, and promote innovation in teaching, ensuring that its graduates can respond to the diverse needs of learners.
By cultivating pre-service teachers as future “BEACONs” of competence and compassion, UB affirms its role in helping achieve inclusive and equitable quality education, echoing the vision of SDG 4 both locally and globally.
Guests, Alumni, and Partner Institutions
The ceremony was graced by many special guests. Dr. Bernardita C. Ayunon, former Dean of STE/STELA, delivered the Keynote Address, emphasizing competence, learning outcomes, and the importance of strong learning communities.
Alumni also shared their journeys. Dr. Antonio D. Mangaliag (current Dean of STELA and BSED alumnus) and Mr. Genar P. Tacay (Principal at San Luis Elementary School and BEED alumnus). Their stories of sacrifice, resilience, and success reminded everyone that the path to becoming a teacher may not be easy, but it is always meaningful.
Representatives from Baguio City National Science High School, one of UB’s partner institutions, along with the principals of UBHS and UBLES and a parent representative, also attended. Their presence highlighted the teamwork among families, schools, and universities in raising the next generation of educators.
Symbolic Traditions: Pinning, Lighting of the BEACON, and Pledge
The most symbolic moments of the event came with the Pinning of the Name Plates, where faculty members carefully placed the pins on each pre-service teacher. This solemn act was more than just a formality—it marked a transition from being students of education to becoming professionals-in-training, ready to stand before real classrooms. Each name plate served as a visible reminder of the responsibility they now carry, not just to themselves, but to the learners and communities who will soon rely on them.
This was followed by the Lighting of the BEACON, perhaps the most moving moment of the program. A single flame was shared and passed among the pre-service teachers, growing brighter as it spread, until the room was lit with the collective glow of hope, unity, and purpose. The flame symbolized the call for teachers to become light-bearers—guiding not only through knowledge, but also through compassion and integrity.
The ceremony then culminated with the recitation of the Pre-Service Teachers’ BEACON Pledge. Voices rose together in unison, echoing a shared promise to uphold the ideals of service, empathy, and competence. The pledge was more than words; it was a public declaration of identity and mission. In that moment, the students were no longer individuals on separate paths—they became a community of future educators bound by a common purpose to illuminate the lives of others.
Adding to the occasion’s success was the active role of the BSED third-year students, who worked behind the scenes as the event committee. Their efforts showed the spirit of mentorship, unity, and cooperation that has always been a strength of UB’s Teacher Education community.
The program closed with responses from student representatives, who expressed gratitude to their mentors, alumni, and partner schools while affirming their renewed commitment to live by the BEACON ideals.
In the end, the 2025 Pinning Ceremony was not only about tradition—it was a reminder that UB’s pre-service teachers are ready to step into classrooms as future BEACONs of competence, service, and hope.
