Way back in 1940, the response of the urgent need of the “breathe there the men with souls so dead” was realized when Msgr. Alfredo Versoza, then bishop of Lipa with Mother General’s permission, turned over to Mother Mary of the Holy Name Philips, St. Bridget’s Superior then, the management of the newly organized school, St. Theresa’s Academy (STA) and run by the Franciscan Sisters. Records show that the academy was formerly Colegio de Sta. Teresa de Jesus which was established in the 1920’s with the core values of CONCERN, RESPONSIBILITY and SERVICE.

This pre-war STA had complete elementary and high school departments. Sr. Mary of St. Claire governed the high school department while the elementary was handled by Sr. Mary of St. Dorothy. Sr. Mary of the Immaculate Conception came later to help the two sisters. They were welcomed by then Parish Priest of Bauan, Msgr. Castillo. The school was closed at its infancy at the start of the World War II.

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Bauan, a bustling town, showed a marked progress in a seemingly safe and peaceful atmosphere when STA was reopened in 1944. That was when the Japanese Imperial Army permitted Mother Claire to reopen the school on condition that Niponggo would be taught as a subject in all classes. The classes were complete except for the top most years (III and IV) in the high school. The rumblings and tumult of the war of the Philippine Liberation forced STA to close before the school year was over.

At the request of the incumbent parish priest, Fr. Gualberto Latorre, STA was started again in 1950 by Sr. Mary of the Holy Name. Classes were not held in the historic seminary which housed the St. Francis de Sales Major seminarians then but in the ancient rectory which was but a glorified nipa hut. It had a roofing of nipa shingles, walls of a “new” kind of wood called masonite, had barely two rooms big enough to hold classes and a smaller room, multi-purpose room served as office, library, reception room and school store. There were 50 students at the start with Kindergarten class in the ground floor of the Fathers’ new semi-concrete rectory. A wooden partition separated the Kindergarten class from the Grade II class. The detachable partitions were used as framework for stage programs.

Nineteen hundred and fifty-one marked the presentation of diplomas to the first Grade VI graduates; by 1954, to the first high school graduate. Such were the inauspicious beginnings of the post war St. Theresa’s Academy. The burgeoning school population could no longer be accommodated in the ground floor of the hut so a new school building was built in 1951 on the site of the old hut. The façade was lonely on paper but the reality was below the expectations of Mother Mary of St. Dominican who followed the minutest details in the planning, construction and painting. The school continued to grow. Sr. Mary of St. Theresa took over as Principal vice Sr. Mary of the Holy Name. Mother Therese was succeeded by Sr. Ofelia Endrinal and later by Sr. Mary Francis Xavier. The last Good Shepherded Sister who administered St. Theresa’s Academy was Sr. Mary Ann Terrinal.

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In 1970, the Good Shepherd Sisters turned over the school to the Archdiocese of Lipa with the Archbishop as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The year also marked its expansion in the admission of not only female but also male students. The first school director was Rev. Msgr. Alberto M. Boongaling whose appointment in 1970 has proven the worth of the Bishop’s appointment via improvement in physical plant and strong educational leadership. The academic administration was entrusted to Mrs. Flora V. Javier, High School Principal and Miss Leodegaria A. Ciceron, Grade School Principal.

School year 1975 – 1976 was when the night session opened in answer to the demands of the community to provide Catholic education to those who had to earn a living during the day. The night classes lasted for 21 years.

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In 1984, Rev. Fr. Conrado G. Castillo took over the directorial job of the institution. Under the new administration, the main thrusts were the upliftment of employees’ status, articulation of the value system and Teresian spirituality in the school’s curriculum and the improvement of the school’s services and facilities. Those became the core thrusts of his administration until the expiration of its term.

Fr. Castillo implemented his physical development plans amidst difficulties. Several structures were living proofs of his dedicated directorship, such as the renovation of the classrooms, the construction of the Chapel, the canteen, the bookstore, Home Economics laboratories, the school clinic, computer and speech laboratories, covered walks, children’s playground and waiting shed for parents complete with tables and benches. He also revived the Family Council and strengthened the STA Alumni Association.

In 1990 the school held a year-long celebration of its Golden Anniversary. The activities included symposia for parents, alumni and students, a dance party and a cultural presentation which coincided with the Coronation night for Mr. and Miss STC and Little Mr. and Miss STC for the high school and grade school departments respectively.

In the last 20 years, STC has increased its enrolment by leaps and bounds from barely 400 students in 1969, its first year of independent operation to 2, 379 students in 1990. In the course of time, STC became especially distinguished for its high standard of education. read more

The STC era

Based on the premise of the three core-values of CONCERN, RESPONSIBILITY and SERVICE of Teresian community, Fr. Castillo pursued to open a quality affordable tertiary school which was finally realized through the opening of Sta. Teresa College and marked his installation as STC’s first president.

With the blessings of the Archbishop, he spearheaded his biggest project so far – the establishment of a College Department for which he built the three-storey college building. Such endeavor commenced with a ground breaking ceremony on September 1994 and was officiated by the Most Rev. Gaudencio B. Rosales, Archbishop of Lipa; witnessed by the administration, the faculty and staff and the officers of the Family Council.

June of 1995 marked the maiden operation of the College Department for which St. Theresa’s Academy was renamed Sta. Teresa College. The first college dean, Dr. Flora V. Javier, tapped some high school teachers and part timers to form the academic staff. On October 15, the College Building was blessed and the first College President, Rev. Fr. Conrado G. Castillo, was installed.

Starting a college is an arduous task. STC has to compete with the more-established, if not well-established colleges and universities in the city; consequently, the record of college enrolment was not that big at the start with 58 students during the first semester.

In the course of time, STC withstood the test and challenges and has painstakingly maintained its high academic status that slowly attracted college enrolees from the nearby towns and far provinces as well.

The year 1997 marked the awarding of the first College diplomas to the 23 and 15 graduates of Associates in Computer Technology and Computer Secretarial respectively while the first Degree Holders - 17 in Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, two in Bachelor of Secondary Education and nine in Bachelor of Elementary Education received their diplomas in 1999.

In 1997, Miss Emelinda G. Castillo succeeded Dr. Flora V. Javier as dean. In 1999, Miss Leodegaria A. Ciceron was named Director for Academics. As in charge at the academics helm, she held the position of the College Dean and Principal of the Basic Education Department. Likewise Mr. Aurelio D. Manalo Jr. was appointed Director for Administrative Services which include the Finance department.

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