WHEN the hustle and bustle of another school year dies down and the hallways are like temporary skeletons—devoid of life and empty of students, the end of an era for many batches of students begins. Students and teachers, alike, are left with the bittersweet taste of a chapter’s toil finally being over, and may look back at what has passed with both fondness and contempt. Among those many days, there will always be a few that stick out of memories like sore thumbs. A few graduating and newly graduated students as well as a former teacher share stories of school memories that have particularly etched themselves into their hearts.
“If you ask anyone from my batch what exactly happened on Nov. 10, 2017, you are sure to get a reply of, ‘Haha! THAT day.’ Usually, we are given a week after the exams to pass all our projects; however, this was a different story. Since ‘THAT’ day was a Friday and technically the last day of school, that was also the deadline for all our requirements. We had 10 projects due, but what made it even worse was that we had to present a 45-minute dance presentation for our PE finals, which we only found out about the week before.”
“On Nov. 9, we ended our dress rehearsal at 10 p.m. By 11 p.m., our class group chat went live. Everyone pulled an all-nighter, and I was the last man standing (in the video call). I fell asleep right after finishing my last project at 6 a.m. Next thing I knew, it was 12 noon, my printer was going crazy, I had not printed any of my projects yet, and my PE finals started at 12:25 p.m. Looking back, I really could not have done it without my supportive family. Dad had to drive real fast, mom did my makeup in the car, and my brother printed my projects and sent them to me by the end of the day. I arrived 10 minutes late for my performance but my group covered for me, making it seem like nothing had happened. ‘THAT’ day was the most stressful day we experienced, but it was definitely the most fulfilling one that I will never forget.” - Chloe Go, graduating student, Senior High School
“One of my best memories in Senior High was having to prepare for a festival dance. It was a PE requirement that needed costumes, props and original choreography; it was arguably one of the most exciting, but stressful, projects in recent memory. I remember having to practice after school hours, and laughing and shouting at each other’s mistakes. The presentation itself was also amazing, although never again will I cover my entire face with black paint.
What makes this project so memorable was that everybody really stepped up to try and make this presentation really good. We showed each other our capabilities, and how far we were willing to go to achieve a single goal. Would we do it again? Probably not, but the festival dance really cemented our bond with each other, and is something we’ll all look back on and smile.” - Noah Weigel, graduating student, Senior High School
“I guess my favorite memory would be how the simplest things can motivate children as long as you have fun with your imagination. I successfully persuaded grumpy second graders to go back to their classes through a high five, giving an “invisible” coin and lending some “energy!” - Reyjee Albino, former teacher
“I think the best memories of my college life come from my internship, which is truly the best part of being a Physical Therapy student. It’s when we put everything we learned in first to fourth year to good use. I’ll never forget any of my patients, but one I’d like to mention is the first-ever patient I had in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, who suffered from a spinal cord injury. He knew that I was a nervous newbie, but he always thanked me for giving him the best care. After that, when I was put in different environments, I was never as nervous. I hope he’s doing well now.” - Anna Sanders, new graduate, physical therapist