the 5 years that flew by so fast

All I wanted to be after college graduation was to be a CEO. That's it. But I never knew that my journey would have a U2ish arc on it.

Almost 6 years ago, I let go of my sure yet uncertain but definitely excited, "Yes..." to an escalating tug towards being part of the academe. It was past midnight, October 2002. I was channel surfing, then "Dead Poet's Society" dropped on me. And I said, "Here we go..."

By March 2003, I wrote my very first matured, fully aware and serious resignation letter to open myself to what my heart was telling me to do. By April 2003, I facilitated my first class as a full-time faculty at the School of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management of Mapua Institute of Technology in old Intramuros, Manila.

And seemingly, time stood as it flew so fast. I guess this is what happens when one listen's to one's heart = )

I have my share of heartbreaking stories of students.

Been approached by parents of graduating students. I was asked and requested if I can pass their struggling and confused children so that they can march. I had to painfully say, "No..."

I hear my friends tell me that they love their children so much that they are willing to shield their kids to all the hurt and pain of this world but is that the right way to go? Are we not disabling them?

I had front row seats also to students who were excellent and promising in a year and suddenly do a 180 degree turn towards anonymity. Some "fell in love" and had their hearts broken. Some were simply abused by the people they trusted and then left behind with tears on their eyes. Some, recovered very fast. Some, romantically held on and made a home with their misery as their youthfulness fade away. Lord, do they even know that we only pass this way once?

I was also privy to a number of family struggles. Children of "broken" homes. Children of hurt people continually hurting other people. Some of these students find refuge in their studies. At least, in the classrooms, when you get the right answer, you will be rewarded. When you put the effort, you will reap a harvest of good things. Something that they do not see when two older people tell them that they still love one another but it could not work anymore.

A number of students of this same situation take their lot in life differently. They take it as their excuse to rebel and abuse themselves with alcohol and I do not even want to know anymore. They have so much anger mixed with so much vulnerability that they open themselves to prowling wolves.

But not all are "Maalala mo kaya" stories. Most, are blessings that keep professors forever young or should I say, youthful! = )

They bless you unknowingly with their honest remark, with their unexpected gratitude.

It is very rewarding to have contributed to a life, to a journey of another person. It is very rewarding to have enabled an environment where students could honestly see themselves and awaken in them that hazy... that glimmer... that spirit... that faint sound...that whisper...that side of them that says to them, "you can do better than this..."

I'd like to believe that once learning facilitators have enabled students to see this and be aware of this side of them, what happens next are simply grades.

It even does not matter if they get a 5 or a 3. What matters is that they realize that this grade was important because this was a defining moment in their lives.

Lord, may we always, as learning facilitators, allow our students who gave us the privilege to be part of their lives, define themselves.

With this, the 5 years flew...