I am glad to say that some of the happiest moments in my life happened whilst I was in high school. I am forever grateful that I got to spend my formative years in a good school, surrounded by great people.

I was usually the one who lead the Vision when our section was assigned the responsibility of leading the flag ceremony so this reflection sort of feels like I have come full circle, now I am being asked to reflect on it and see it through an alumna’s eyes.

I do believe that the university certainly sits on a level above most, especially in the South. I, myself, have seen what it is like in college and compared myself to others who have come from other schools and I realized that we (other alumnae) were almost always prepared for what the professors gave us. I couldn’t believe other students never heard of bookkeeping, let alone knew how to at least make a basic baby thesis. That certainly shows the effectiveness of the high school’s academic endeavors and their success in instilling knowledge in its pupils.

Going back to spending my formative years in the high school department of the university… I certainly learned a few things, not just academically, but outside of the classroom. I built friendships, gained responsibilities, made mistakes and won a few medals here and there… all of which helped me become a better, well-rounded person. Our teachers (especially advisers) became second parents. Without them, properly guiding over us in such crucial years, I have no idea if we would be as good as how we are today.

I remember when we were being a bit rowdy that the teachers would remind us that we are to be “Helpers of God”. Now if that didn’t guilt you into keeping quiet, I don’t know what will. The school always highlighted compassion, honestly, understanding and a few more and all of those helped us become a bit more empathetic, may it be with our classmates, teachers, family members, fellow Filipinos and even strangers.

I honestly feel like people who graduated from the school have something special to offer that people who did not study there cannot provide. There’s something magical about spending 4 years of one’s life in a place like the high school department. Maybe it’s because of that sense of community, like a small ecosystem thriving on its own, maybe it’s because of the classmates you meet but end up as a second family and maybe it’s just because the high school department is really good at shaping students and letting them grow. I will not trade my experiences whilst I was there and if given the chance to somehow get into a time machine, it will be to my first day in high school.