The graduates of Central Luzon State University (CLSU) are proving their worth in any field of endeavor. One of them is Dr. Firma C. Viray (BSHE, 1978), the new President of the Core Gateway College, Inc. (CGCI) in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija since June 20, 2016. Dr. Viray was hired by CLSU just after her graduation and rose from the rank of Instructor to full pledge Professor. She retired as Dean of the College of Home Science and Industry (CHSI).

When she was still working at the CHSI, she was very active in university activities besides teaching. She became visible, thus she was designated as chair in the CHSI Department of Garment Technology, and in the Department of Education related studies in both the Graduates Studies and the Open University respectively. Other designations were: Director of Social Affairs and Programs and Director and Coordinator of National Service Training Program and Civic Welfare Training Service, respectively. Prior to becoming a President of CGCI, Dr. Viray is also known outside the country. She was a consultant in Maejo University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Bugema University in Uganda, Africa and invited regularly as lecturer in other educational institutions such as: Leiscester Polytechnic in United Kingdom, Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In May 2016, she gave lectures at the Hunan Agricultural University, and Hunan Biological and Electromechanical Polytechnic in Changsha City, Hunan Province, PROC.

Dr. Viray is also a researcher and her researches were published in refereed journals both local and international. She presented her researches in Melbourne, Australia; others were in Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and China. Moreover, she has co-authored two National Service Training Program (NSTP) Civic Welfare Training Service I handbooks, and NSTP II books, lead author in NSTP Common Module, and co-authored Social Graces for Filipino Teenagers, which were all published with ISBN. To date, she is finishing her incoming book on “Manners Across Culture” for Hotel and Restaurant Management students and other interested individuals who love to learn other cultures. She has a very positive attitude in life and self- discipline. One of her great characteristics is she “walks the talk” thus, worthy of the virtues of CLSU alumni.

As President of CGCI, she applies her knowledge and discipline as an accreditor, to guide and lead the school programs to attain fully its stipulated Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives. She encouraged her faculty to serve well, maintain quality standard and to conduct researches. She even volunteered to teach in the college Graduate Studies, to share her expertise not only as a president but as a graduate professor. She exemplifies working extra ordinary, and believes that to succeed in any endeavor, you must “do better than your best”. The CGCI President is an active member of an International Honor Society, the Pi Lambda Theta, elected as the National President of the Philippine Colleges and Universities China Studies, Inc. (PCUCSAI) for two years, served also as local PCUCSAI President of CLSU chapter for more than 5 years. Likewise, as a member of several professional and social organizations local and abroad.