From the Sidelines is a feature series that seeks to profile talented individuals who work behind the scenes in contributing to the greater success of Ateneo sports. In the sixth installment, we take a look at the journey of Boss Jo, the legendary academic adviser of the University Athletics Office.
HAVING SPENT 12 years as an academic adviser for the University Athletics Office (UAO), Joen “Boss Jo” Odono has played a significant role in the academic lives of Atenean student-athletes. Aside from monitoring the students’ academic performances, Boss Jo’s willingness to aid students even in personal concerns has allowed him to forge deeper relationships with the students he has guided.
While the coronavirus-induced lockdown restricted the students’ consultations with Boss Jo in the study hall, the academic adviser has found ways to mentor the student-athletes amid the pandemic.
The legendary boss
Boss Jo’s journey as an academic adviser began in his undergraduate years as an AB Economics scholar in Ateneo. Even before graduating in 1999, Boss Jo had already developed a knack for aiding students’ academic concerns by being a math tutor to his classmates.
“Before graduation, tinutulungan ko na yung mga classmates ko. Parang nagtututor-tutor na rin ako before. Tapos yung ADAA parang binigyan ako ng raket (Before graduation, I already helped my classmates. I used to tutor them. The Office of the ADAA [Associate Dean for Academic Affairs] gave me a gig that time),” he recounted.
Hoping to fund a master’s degree that would qualify him for his dream career with the Asian Development Bank, Boss Jo continued tutoring for another seven years while taking up a Master’s degree in Economics. However, his desire to give back to the Ateneo community—for whom he was a scholar—grew. Because of this, Boss Jo eventually discontinued his master’s degree and pursued an academic adviser role in the UAO when the study hall was first built in 2008.
However, Boss Jo’s early years as a UAO academic adviser came with various difficulties. These obstacles included the struggle of enticing student-athletes to visit the study hall. Since it was located inside the Blue Eagle Gym, the room was difficult to access especially during the rainy season because it was rather far from the Loyola Schools’ buildings. Athletes were oftentimes unmotivated to visit the study hall, which led to Boss Jo grappling with the responsibility to monitor student-athletes’ academic performances regularly.
Despite these challenges, Boss Jo remained steadfast in his commitment to help student-athletes. Aside from monitoring students’ academic performances, Boss Jo guided the student-athletes in making the right decisions that benefit their academic lives. With this, he frequently reminded the students of the importance of education as a pathway to successful careers after their life as an athlete.
Beyond the study hall
Before the pandemic, Boss Jo’s pleasant personality and willingness to help student-athletes made him the go-to adviser even on topics that went beyond academics.
While he likened his role to that of a counselor, Boss Jo was considered more as a friend by many student-athletes. “He’s so outgoing. If you want someone to laugh with dad jokes about, he’s there. If you want to make chismis (gossip), he’s there. If you just need a best friend, he’s really there. He’s like the uncle that never stops laughing and is always smiling and always eating. No matter what, he’s always eating [and] watching k-drama when you walk into study hall,” Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team member Angel Gino-Gino fondly recalled.
Given the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Boss Jo continued to monitor the students’ academic performances and well-being through scheduled Zoom consultations. “Natuto [na] ako mag-Zoom. Dati palagi [ako] naka-mute. Ito yung isa sa mga ways na connected parin kami sa athletes (I already learned how to use Zoom. Before I was always muted. This is one of the ways for us to stay connected with the athletes),” he shared proudly.
On top of his regular Zoom consultations, Boss Jo also addresses all kinds of student queries and concerns through calls and text messaging. By making himself always available on the said platforms, students with immediate concerns can freely communicate with Boss Jo even beyond his working hours.
With a desire to impart the best advice to students, Boss Jo regularly goes the extra mile to frequently update himself with each academic department’s processes. In an effort to give students sound advice on which professors to take, he familiarizes himself with all the professors’ workload and teaching style through the Ateneo Profs to Pick Facebook group.
Among the many students who have benefitted from Boss Jo’s dedication is Gino-Gino. For her, Boss Jo has consistently aided her with every concern and inspired her to persevere amid many challenges. “He helped me through the whole process of everything, and he never left my side whenever it got really, really hard,” she recalled.
In the same way, Boss Jo considered his encounters with student-athletes a learning experience as these inspired him to grow. “Two-way kasi yung teaching. Ako bilang nag-aadvice, natututo rin ako doon sa mga experiences ng student-athletes (Teaching is a two-way street. As the adviser, I also learn from the experiences of the student-athletes),” he explained.
Commitment in action
While the friendships he developed allowed him to impart numerous advice beyond academics, what matters most to Boss Jo is imparting the importance of education to every student-athlete. “Sa akin lang (For me), do their job as a student and an athlete, but they must always remember [that the word] student is always first in the word “student-athlete,” he said.
“You can never become an athlete kung hindi ka muna student dito sa Ateneo (if you weren’t a student first here in Ateneo),” he added.
