It was indeed a blast from the past that St. Theresa’s College - High School Class 1972 celebrated during its Golden Jubilee at the STC campus in Cebu! It was a record attendance of long-lost high school classmates, some of whom hadn’t seen each other since high school graduation. There were lots of hugs and kisses. More questions and answers: “How are you? Where are you based now? etc.”
Homecoming Day at the STC campus was the highlight of the event but there were five extra days of just lazing around, remembering, reminiscing, relaxing at lunches and dinners, and even beach trips with dress codes: Kaftan and White Nights etc.
Homecoming Day, however, had everyone garbed in elegant, modern Filipiniana!
What about the Jubilarians living abroad who could not make it to Cebu? Well, let me tell you this: They had their own brand of celebration ahead of the one in Cebu called “Tapok-Tapok sa mga Teresyana.” The very Cebuana-titled affair was an instant success!
Venue for the gathering was at Irvine, California, an ideal residential location where a great number of orange orchards are found thus, the name Orange County!
Seventeen glam gals who made up STC-HS Cebu-Class 1972 are based in the USA and Canada. Here they are (some noted in their maiden names): Grace Cruz-Velarde, Roxanne Lucas-Aquino, Evelyn Gallardo, Marissa Escudero, Yvonne Chiu, Marli Monzon, Marian Bontuyan, Monina Camara, Marian Bun-an, Luisa Ilano, Gloria Blanco-MacMullan, Thelma Oliva, Edna Mancao, Agnes Mockon, Pilar Garcia, Priscilla Roman and Carmela Yee.
Blue and gold were the suggested dress codes for an event, being the school’s official colors. There were dinners galore at Agora Churrascaria in Irvine, and another at the quaint ANQI Restaurant in Costa Mesa. These were all capped by a sparkling, sizzling beach bash under the sunny California skies! All nostalgia sessions were super special for the USA-Canada “Teresyanas!”
Last but definitely not the least, full credit goes to the hyper-organizers of the Cebu and USA events: Dr. Nora Abesamis-Redulla handled all the minute details of the Cebu bash, while another doctora, Roxanne Lucas-Aquino, was the ultimate event planner, whose chores included making a memorable collage of the girls in their Grade 7 uniforms, being an avid super-sharp photographer, and much more!
Special thanks to Grace Cruz-Velarde for keeping in touch.
Congrats to STC-HS Class 1972. I love you all!