I majored in Business Management back in college. I don't exactly recall the reason why I chose the course except for the fact that I wanted to study in Manila's most prestigious university, Ateneo de Manila. A look at my yearbook reveals that in the year that I graduated, Management majors were the biggest group of graduates. I know of some classmates who really excelled in it and have become leaders in the field of business and finance in the Philippines. However, a number of us have likewise veered away from this field and have chosen other career paths. I for one fell in love with Spanish, received a scholarship from the Spanish Government to study in Madrid, and pursued teaching the language and bilingual education in the US. A batchmate went back to school and became a nurse in San Jose, California. Another one went to Stanford and majored in Journalism. She now lives in New York as a respected journalist in the Big Apple.

On my most recent vacation to New Zealand and Australia, I had the opportunity to meet up with a classmate, also from Ateneo, who I had not seen since graduation from college. I just couldn't believe I would see him again and in Sydney at that! He is one of the few who didn't use his Business degree and pursued his real passion instead. Stanley went back to school, enrolled in the University of the Philippines, and studied Architecture. He has been an Architect since then both in Manila and in Australia.

When I found out that he was living in Sydney, I knew I had to get in touch and say hello. Thus on the night before we left for Melbourne, he met with us at our hotel in Wynyard . Afterwards, he took us to his favorite Thai restaurant in Kirribili. It was a sumptous dinner with a good old friend. It was fun reminiscing about life back when we were still in our college years. We talked a lot about life in school and after school.

Thank you Stanley! Hope to see you soon here in the US with your family.