A decade ago, Kristal Grace Quijano Aguado stood in front of her first class of Korean ESL learners in the Philippines, teaching across face-to-face and online sessions. That early work became the foundation of a teaching career that would carry her to international schools in Macau and Vietnam, and eventually to a mission far larger than any single classroom.
Today, Aguado is the Founder and Director of GITE — the Global Institute of Teaching Excellence — an organization built around one goal: to give teachers and aspiring educators the knowledge, skills, qualifications, and confidence to succeed both at home and abroad. “Having experienced the challenges of building a teaching career, I understand the importance of quality training and professional development,” she says. GITE, she explains, exists to make teacher education more accessible and to help educators reach their career goals.
Her own path gave her an intimate understanding of those challenges. Raised as a scholar after losing her parents at a young age, Aguado built her career through financial hardship and the demands of raising her son as a single mother while pursuing opportunities overseas. Resilience, faith, and perseverance are not abstractions in her story; they are the terms on which it was won.
That range of experience now anchors her work. Alongside her teaching credentials — a Bachelor of Elementary Education and a master’s degree — she serves as a professional international teacher and a UNTV News correspondent, pairing her commitment to education with public service. Through GITE, she has turned that combined experience outward, toward other educators trying to build the careers she fought for.
GITE maintains international professional affiliations, including membership in the TESOL International Association and the Education and Learning Quality Network (ELQN). The institute is currently offering free teaching certificates to a limited number of qualified participants, with 50% off selected certificate programs for later batches — an initiative Aguado frames as a way of giving back to the teaching community. Whether for an aspiring teacher, a fresh graduate, or an experienced educator seeking stronger qualifications, the aim is the same: a clear next step. GITE is also open to partnerships with schools, universities, training centers, recruitment agencies, NGOs, and other institutions that share its vision of raising the standard of teaching worldwide.
For Aguado, the achievement is not hers alone. She credits her faith and the people who believed in her vision and trusted her work. “This achievement is not mine alone,” she says. “It is a testament to what we can accomplish together with faith, perseverance, and a shared passion for education.”
From a single classroom in the Philippines to a global institute, her message to fellow Filipinos is the one her own life demonstrates: even the most difficult beginnings can lead to a life of purpose and service.
To learn more about GITE — Global Institute of Teaching Excellence, visit www.giteglobal.com.
