BANGKOK, THAILAND — When Genevieve Sarcon first set foot in Thailand in 2013, she was a licensed nurse on a short-term mission trip. Teaching wasn’t part of the plan, until a Christian school in Bangkok asked for help. They needed a Science teacher, and she fit the bill on paper. But in the classroom, Sarcon felt out of her depth.
“Knowing something doesn’t mean you can teach it too,” she says, recalling the steep learning curve of teaching grades 7 to 12 for four years. “I was not confident enough to teach. I didn’t have the theoretical knowledge.”
It was a season of uncertainty. Married to a Thai national and adjusting to life abroad, Sarcon turned to family for support, specifically her younger sister, a graduate of West Visayas State University (WVSU) and a licensed teacher. “She coached me on classroom management,” Sarcon shares. “I needed guidance even with the basics.”
But Sarcon’s desire to teach grew stronger with every challenge. “I fell in love with teaching more than in nursing,” she says. That realization led her to WVSU’s University Distance Education (UDE) program—specifically, the Diploma in Teaching (DIT) track, designed for non-education professionals looking to make the shift into teaching.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐕𝐒𝐔 𝐔𝐃𝐄 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦: 𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝
The UDE program is a pioneering effort by WVSU to make quality teacher education accessible to Filipino professionals, wherever they are in the world. Through online modules, flexible schedules, and on-the-ground practicum, the program empowers learners to pursue teaching credentials while balancing their work and personal lives.
For Sarcon, it was a perfect match. “This program helped me be confident in teaching by understanding the needs of my students, being more compassionate, and managing my classes better,” she says. “More importantly, it gave me peace, knowing I’d be able to teach professionally, anywhere in the world.”
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐝𝐝𝐬
Balancing her studies with work and family life in Thailand was never easy. Internet issues, time differences, and parenting duties often collided with deadlines. Still, Sarcon stayed the course.
Her most transformative experience? A practicum teaching persons deprived of liberty at Iloilo City District Jail, done online, with students facing unique limitations. “It was a heartwarming and unforgettable experience,” she says. “It was more than just teaching theories. It was about giving hope.”
In May 2025, Sarcon graduated, on time, against all odds, with a Diploma in Teaching from WVSU. It marked the end of one journey and the beginning of a new chapter as a professional educator.
“I’m grateful for the WVSU DIT program,” she says, smiling. “It didn’t just train me to teach. It taught me to teach with heart.”
Genevieve Sarcon is one of many overseas Filipinos empowered by West Visayas State University’s University Distance Education program—proof that education, when guided with compassion and vision, knows no borders.
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