Mrs. Maria Roiselle Demerre-Nacu

Her smile has comforted many students who came to her office for counseling. Her motherly approach to discipline has inspired many to look within themselves and find strength in their potential to one day become great. Her presence in itself is reassuring.

Few have dared themselves to pursue a career which challenge involves helping students achieve self-actualization and a strong resolve to pursue their dreams in life — with some needing guidance during confusing or turbulent phases in their lives. Mrs. Maria Roiselle Demerre-Nacu is one of them.

Roiselle is the guidance counselor assigned to the College of Education and the College of Computer Studies. She draws the drive to stay on and do more from watching college students mature from freshmen to seniors. Throughout their stay in college, she assists students become independent and make sound decisions. 

“When you’re doing things right,” someone once wrote, “it’s like you’re another parent, except they trust you a little more,” Roiselle says.
This bubbly grandmother-of-three grew up playing make-believe. In the playground of her mind, she would often pretend to be the famous young sleuth Nancy Drew. Roiselle read and collected volumes of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories from elementary through her high school years in Silliman University.

By the time she got to college, her love for the dainty white uniforms worn by nurses got her interested to enroll in an allied health sciences course. But she soon changed her mind upon hearing her Psychology teacher speak with much passion and conviction on the importance of the field. That was her turning point; a semester immediately after that class, she found herself already majoring in Psychology.  

She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree in 1984. In the same year, she was invited to join the University as a guidance personnel. After eight years, she left for Manila where she held a teaching position.

Her love for Silliman and the laid-back life in Dumaguete, however, led her back to the University in 1996. In 2006, Roiselle was appointed head of the Student Scholarship and Aid Division. She assisted students in finding opportunities of funding their studies in the University for three years. While she was able to oversee the efficient administration of scholarships, she felt something was missing. It was then that she thought of going back to being a guidance counselor where she was more herself. 

Passionate about her craft, she studied again while working in the University. She completed her Master of Arts in Psychology degree in 1993. She is convinced that there is still more that she can offer with the right training, so she started school again. Roiselle is now working on her second masters, this time in Education major in Guidance and Counseling, and hopes to finish it by October this year. 

Not all about her life is a bed of roses though. Roiselle shares about her separation from her husband while their daughter, Sheila, was still in her third grade. During these times of trial, Roiselle held firmly to the Lord’s promises. She found comfort in knowing that nothing could separate her from the love of God.

Under God’s grace, she raised her daughter on her own and watched her as she grew up into a woman of faith. She watched her walk down the aisle to be wed and later raise three God-fearing children. Sheila, who is now 29, works as a young bank executive. 

At this point of her life, Roiselle considers it her life’s mission to guide and lead Shiela and her family in their Christian journey.

Describe yourself in three words.
I am a mother and a grandmother, with a short retention span.

What is your motto in life?
Nothing is impossible with God!

What makes you laugh?
Life as a whole

What makes you cry?
Sentimental moments

What’s your favorite time of the day and why?
After lunch, because it’s a great time to rest.

What’s your favorite day of the week and why?
Weekends, because it is my family bonding time.

What do you love doing when not working?
Cooking, reading, watching television

What is your favorite hangout place in the University?
My office

What makes you blush?
When people give me a compliment. 

If you were an actress, who would you be?
Julia Roberts

Tell us a fact about yourself.
I am moderately obsessive-compulsive.

What’s your favorite game growing up?
Make-believe

What is your idea of a relaxing day?
Doing household chores

What one thing would people be interested to know about you?
I am shy.

What song best describes the YOU and the life you have now?
The hymn “We will serve the Lord”

What is the first thing you do right after waking up in the morning?
Spend time with the God.

What’s your idea of a family?
A family is a group of people who are united by a common goal or aspiration, one whose uniting bond is that of love and concern for one another.