First Pinay Teacher in Harvard University, Lady Aileen Orsa Earns Praise Online for Her Achievement
HARVARD UNIVERSITY – Meet Lady Aileen Orsal, the first Filipino instructor to teach in the prestigious university.
Harvard University proudly introduced Lady Aileen Orsal as the first Filipino language instructor in its prestigious halls. James Robson, the Victor and William Fung Director made the announcement at the Harvard University Asia Center on August 25, 2023.
Robson extends his congratulations to Lady Aileen Orsal for her appointment as Preceptor in Filipino Languages. This achievement is noteworthy as the Filipino language becomes the fourth most spoken language in the United States, following Chinese, Spanish, and English.
Harvard describes Orsal as a dedicated, creative, and effective Filipino language educator with an impressive background in Philippine Studies, encompassing culture, history, and politics. Her research and publications have covered diverse topics, from traditional tattoo art to the coffee culture of the Philippines and the role of music in political campaign jingles.
Orsal’s academic journey reflects her commitment to her field. She completed her B.A. in Mass Communication at Cavite State University in 2012 and earned her M.A. degree in Philippine Studies in 2017.
The Pinay teacher currently balances her studies, pursuing an M.A. in Communication at Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in Philippine Studies at De La Salle University.
Her Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant position at Northern Illinois University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies in 2018 demonstrated her commitment to advancing the Filipino language and culture even further.
Orsal expressed her profound gratitude to all who offered their congratulations. She acknowledged that her achievement is just a small part of a larger story and pointed out that the chance to teach Filipino at Harvard is the result of collective efforts.
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The Filipino educator remains humble and focused on her responsibilities despite her achievement:
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