One of the under-appreciated professions is teaching, and this may partly be because a very good teacher is quite difficult to find nowadays. This, however, is not a problem for Dr. Queena Lee-Chua, who is not just a teacher, but also a lecturer, mathematician and award-winning writer and professor of mathematics and psychology at the Ateneo de Manila University.

The eldest child of two medical doctors, Queena was very well-balanced as a young girl. She loved to read books for children, like the Nancy Drew series and works by Enid Blyton, Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. At the same time, science also fascinated her, and she enjoyed reading about scientiests like Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein. As she got older, she started reading the theories of these scientists on her own. She became advanced in her studies, because aside from this, her mother also taught her math topics that were ahead of what she was studying in school.

Queena's love for science prevailed when it came time for college and she was choosing between mathematics and communication arts. She went for the former, knowing that she could hone her English skills on her own, but would need more guidance in the field of math. Her dedication was rewarded when she graduated summa cum laude from Ateneo in 1987.

The math major had already signed up with a multinational company during the university job fair, but separate talks with her math and theology teachers encouraged her to try teaching first. Joining Ateneo's math department changed the course of her life. Queena found that she loved teaching and was a natural teacher. What's more, she was very good at it.

With a goal to improve her craft, Queena took psychology courses, eventually obtaining a doctorate degree and teaching psychology classes as well. All her hard work paid off, and her students have benefitted from her efforts. She encourages all her students and shows her faith in each of them. As a result, she is well-loved and gets perfect attendance in her classes. Many name her as their favorite teacher, attesting to her exceptional teaching skills and sharing how they have grown to appreciate math. Her greatest recognition came in 2003, when she received the Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Award in the Tertiary Level.

Queena excelled not only in teaching, however. Shortly after giving birth to her only child, Scott, and having a hysterectomy after benign tumors were discovered, she came out with a collection of inspirational stories entitled “A Book of Blessings.” She also became a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where her column “Eureka!” is printed, and published a number of other books.

Queena's writing skills proved true when she received her first National Book Award in 1998 in the Sciences category for “Straight Talk on Everyday Mysteries,” a compilation of questions and answers on math, science, history, poetry, and geography. She received another National Book Award in 2003, this time in the Anthology category, for “Cogito Ergo Sum and Other Musings on Science,” which includes “Cogito Ergo Sum, or What I Know for Sure I Learned from Mathematics,” the piece that won her the first prize in the Essay category of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2001.

Aside from these awards, Queena was also one of the Ten Outstanding Young Filipinos (TOYF) in 1997 and one of the NAST Outstanding Young Scientists in 2002.

In spite of these achievements, Queena remains grounded and knows which priorities to put ahead of everything else - her son Scott and husband Smith Chua. Even before her role of teacher and writer are her instincts as a mother. She is like any of us, and yet she stands out because she knows how to follow her passion.



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