Rizal's Early Education and Teachers

Early Education in Calamba, Laguna

• Dona Teodora Alonso Realonda was Rizal's first teacher and discovered his talent in writing poems
• At 3 years old, Rizal learned the alphabet
• At 5 years old, Rizal could read, write, and create art
• At 8 years old, Rizal wrote the poem "Sa aking mga kababata"

Professors of Rizal

• Maestro Celestino
• Maestro Lucas Padua
• Leon Monroy
• Maestro Justiano Aquino Cruz

Ateneo Municipal de Manila (1872)

• Rizal belonged to classes of Spaniards, Mestizos, and Filipinos
• He experienced discrimination and racism due to his Filipino status
• He became the "emperor" and received a religious picture as a prize
• Rizal graduated on March 23, 1877, with a Bachelor of Arts degree and 5 medals, attaining "sobresaliente"

Achievements and Skills

• Wrote the poem "Mi Primera Inspiracion" (My First Inspiration)
• Advocated for "Through Education Our Motherland Receives Light"
• Believed in the "Intimate Alliance Between Religion and Good Education"
• Was a "Classroom Emperor", "Campus Leader", and "Secretary of Marian Congregation Religious Society"
• Was a member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and Academy of Natural Sciences
• Studied painting under Agustin Saez and improved sculpture under Romualdo de Jesus
• Engaged in gymnastics, fencing, and physical training under Tio Manuel

University of Santo Tomas (April 1872)

• Rizal continued his education in Philosophy and Letters before shifting to a medical course
• He faced discrimination and outdated instructional methods at the Dominican institution

Academics in Spain (1882)

• Rizal secretly departed for Spain without his parents' knowledge
• He boarded the ship Salvador bound for Singapore on May 3, 1882
• Rizal enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid on November 3, 1882, pursuing courses in Medicine
• He completed all requirements for the degree of Doctor of Medicine but did not submit his thesis or pay fees
• Rizal became involved with Circulo Hispano-Filipino and wrote "El Amor Patrio" (The Love of Country)
• He published "The Indolence of the Filipinos" to counter Spanish criticisms

University of Paris

• Rizal achieved a second doctorate in ophthalmology
• He was honored by induction into the Berlin Anthropological Society and the Berlin Academy for Pathology
• In 1887, at 25 years old, Rizal completed his specialization in ophthalmology under Prof. Otto Becker in Heidelberg