In our lifetime, we come across somebody who can teach us valuable lessons. Somebody who can make us laugh amidst the hardest turmoil of our journey. Somebody who can show us the true meaning of life.
We simply call them “teacher.” We love them when they can share some good laughs. We hate them when they give us difficult examinations. We love them when they give us bonus points in our quizzes. We hate them when they assign us essays or scientific papers to write. We love them when they give additional 0.25 to compensate for our complete attendance to their classes.
They have consultation hours for us to clarify some things that were discussed in the class, ask for updates in scores and points obtained in different class activities or simply ask for guidance when we get lost in our ways. Sometimes they even scold us for not consulting them because they can see that we need them especially when we are having difficulties in our studies.
Not all can get a piece of our heart. Only a few can go directly to the innermost cells of our existence. Only a few can be tagged as great because they can make amazing differences not only to their students but to the whole world.
Thank you to my first teacher – Ms Ibatuan (Grade 1). Also to the teacher, who gave me rides back home and made the sign similar to that of Boy Scouts as exchange for our shouts of “Goodbye Mr Cacho.” To Mr Sunico, who always believed in my capabilities in academic contests.
To Ms Lazo, who was very happy when I got the second place after the first grading period of my first year in high school. To Mrs Espejo, who gave me a whopping improvement of 7 percent in PEHM. To Mrs Fariñas, who was very enthusiastic in teaching us Filipino. To Mrs Farrales, who always got me in the mood for our English class because of her amazing ability in pronunciation, enunciation, diction and other related terms. To Mr Campos, whose teaching is beyond superb. To the two Mrs Jaras, who were always energetic and good examples of exemplary teachers. To Mrs Pascua, whose passion for teaching and inculcating values to us echoed in the corners of our school. To Mrs Abella, who opened my eyes for great experiments in science. To Mr Lived, who made me part of a play in our school. To Mr Idica, whose smiles brightened our days. To Mr Espejo for teaching me how to dance and making me part of the “elite” group of dancers for my last Foundation Day in the school [and I laughed out loud, which I actually do everytime I remember it]. To Mrs Bagaoisan, who would always bug me out with research methods and frameworks. To Ms Caasi, the great librarian, for making my stay in the library enjoyable. And to the triumvirate force of Ms Veronica Salva, Mrs Romelinda Sablay-de Guzman and Mr Romulo Basuel for showing me the ways to journalism. They made my stay in high school more exciting than how I thought about it. I would never find the best way to thank you for making me the Editor-in-Chief [and I laughed out loud again] of the school paper.
To my great teachers in college: Dr Reynaldo de la Cruz, whom I could always call everytime I need a referral letter for scholarship applications; Dr Marilyn Quimado, for the endless support; Drs Cardenas (Chemistry), Merlyn Mendioro, Myrna Carandang, Margaret Calderon and Dulcinea Laforteza for the lively lectures and discussions; Prof Mutya Manalo, for all the motherly advice and wisdom she shared; Prof Stella Villa Castillo for the humour that she can only give; Dr Felix Eslava and Prof Elsa Santos for the valuable lessons in social forestry and forest governance; Dr Edwino Fernando for being a great mentor and serving as my “father” while struggling but enjoying that phytodemographic and phenotypic diversity studies for my thesis.
To National Scientist (NS) Benito Vergara, NS Dolores Ramirez, NS Gelia Castillo, NS Bienvenido Juliano, NS Raul Fabella, NS Mercedes Concepcion, Academician (Acd) Jaime Montoya, Acd Christopher Bernido, Acd Gavino Trono, Acd Romulo Davide, Acd Ruben Villareal, Acd Agnes Rola, Acd Alvin Culaba, Acd Emil Javier, Acd Angel Alcala and Acd Rafael Guerrero III for being great mentors. The closer I get to all of you, the bigger I become. Thank you for sharing the power in your “grey hair.”
I will always remember that “It does not matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up and move on.”