The Lewis College, like a box of chocolates
Lester Dellosa expands awareness and engagement around ocean protection.
FOUNDER Loida Nicolas Lewis (center) is welcomed by The Lewis College students during her visit to celebrate its 25th anniversary last year.
VIDEOGRAB FROM TLC
Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.
That famous quote from the movie “Forrest Gump” was from the main character played by Tom Hanks. Gump was describing that life is full of unpredictable surprises.
The Lewis College (TLC) in Sorsogon, founded by Filipino-born American author, businesswoman, civic leader, lawyer and philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis, is like a box of chocolates as it produces graduates who excel in a variety of fields.
“We can only focus on one thing, which is create graduates who have the values, the values of working hard, the values of being determined to do the best they can, the values of ethics. So we concentrate on the student, then it’s up to them to do all of those things,” says Lewis, referring to the varied careers of TLC graduates.
Among the pride of TLC is internationally awarded artist designer storyteller and environment youth leader Lester Dellosa, who studied at Lewis’ school from Grade 1 to high school before taking up journalism.
Dellosa founded CICCADA, an internationally awarded Artivism platform forwarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) through fashion, and serves as its creative director.
BEADS bracelets created by children of families affected by ‘Typhoon Pepito’ in Tiwi, Albay. Lester Dellosa of CICCADA met the children for a psychosocial operation and taught them how to make the trinkets as gift to their families for enjoyment and coping with the calamity.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CICCADA
“TLC has been a huge help to me significantly in honing my creativity,” says Dellosa in a video celebrating the 25th anniversary of the college. “Your support of students like me is the reason why I grew up succeeding.”
Dellosa recalls that TLC teachers pushed him beyond his potential, specifically allowing him to grow and embrace his creative visions.
He thanked them and Lewis.
“I used to think I want to be somebody like you (Lewis) that someday I become someone who creates impact in my community and here I am now making waves. Thank you for being an inspiration,” he says of Lewis in the video.
The designer reveals that he is publishing his first book in February that highlights deep sea mining in the Philippines. The book is one way of supporting UN SDG No. 14 (Life Below Water), which calls on nations and institutions to protect oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. While this goal is often associated with scientists, policymakers, and environmental organizations, higher education institutions like TLC also play a crucial role by shaping graduates who champion marine conservation in creative and impactful ways.
Dellosa’s artivism also serves as a tool for environmental advocacy. Through visual art, public installations, and community-centered creative projects, he brings attention to the fragile state of marine life and coastal ecosystems.
By using art as a medium, Dellosa reaches audiences often untouched by technical conservation discourse, expanding awareness and engagement around ocean protection.
His CICCADA also promotes eco-conscious practices and messaging that align with marine conservation goals, demonstrating how entrepreneurship can complement conservation.
The achievements of graduates like Dellosa reflect TLC’s broader contribution to sustainable development. By nurturing socially aware, creatively driven, and environmentally responsible alumni, the institution extends its impact far beyond campus boundaries.
In the story of Dellosa and CICCADA, TLC’s commitment to Life Below Water is clear: not only by teaching sustainability, but by empowering individuals to live it, create for it, and advocate for it — above and below the waves.