mam julian.

If it were any other subject, we'd continue walking in and out of the classroom, talking to our seatmates, or singing from the latest "song hits" edition. But this was Third Year Physics, so someone's always on the lookout. Soon as we get news of our teacher rounding the corner of our floor, everyone goes to their proper places, sits quietly 'til she places her books and chalk on the table, and crosses their fingers that they don't get called for recitation. Sa hinaba-haba ng taong yun -- amidst drama left and right a la Gossip Girl -- we passed and I think most of us had a new found respect for the subject.

In 2000, she won as one of Metrobank's Outstanding Teachers. Our batch was the last to get the "Julian" experience -- and for this we will forever be grateful. "Ay malas niyo lang, di niyo magiging teacher si Mam Julian," I remember saying to some of our younger schoolmates. As her Metrobank blurb goes:

Ador’s zest for life shows in her effective and efficient teaching of Chemistry and Physics, her fields of expertise. As a testament to her contribution in teaching chemistry, she was honored with the Science Education Award and served as winning coach in several science competitions.

Ador believes in the multiplier effect that training others brings. Hence, she dedicated much time in training and seminars where she shares her knowledge with younger and less experienced teachers. At times, she sacrificed her family’s comfort to train fellow mentors in the hinterlands of the Cordilleras.

This Master Teacher II is currently putting scientific theory into practice by helping save the Balili River and improve the water ecology of Baguio City and Benguet Province. What better way to show her students what education is all about?

For her: “Education is life, the every life of life. It is the torch that provides light through life.”

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Last June 14, one of our highschool batch's favorite and most memorable teachers, Mrs. Adoracion Julian passed away. It doesn't matter why or how old she was. For most of us, she was and always will be a superwoman, immortal in our eyes.

While waiting for pledges and confirmations, I got updates from Jo Gue, Teo, and Dax and anyone else online willing to join in the conference.

Less than 10 years after graduation, how we've gone places. Quite literally for some too: some batchmates are in Manila and other parts of the country while some have gone abroad -- US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK -- we're everywhere.

We have 4 doctors, 2 lawyers, and 1 dentist on the way. We've got board passers: Cheyenne Batnag (2nd, 2007 Electrical Engineers Licensure Exams), Lester Virata (4th, 2008 Civil Engineers Licensure Exams), Teddy Albano (2007 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Exams) and Miya Hwang (2008 Electronics Engineer Licensure Exams). We've got a brave soul in the US Army carrying a glorious six-pack (sorry, I just HAD to), NGO workers, teachers, and PR people. If our batch were to build a university, spaceflight would be the only course we couldn't carry.

Speaking of siblings, some of our batchamtes have already begun their next chapter. To date and as far as I know, we already have 3 batch babies (ahem ahem on gifts?) and another 2 on the way.

AND this is super UNDERESTIMATING pa, my counts are admittedly off -- yes, because I don't have Facebook. =P

Then there are people we haven't heard from in a while like Gideon Gabaldon and Thoriza Hansen from our Maryknoll days.

To paraphrase Angela Ines, "si Mam Julian pa pala ang mag-u-unite sa batch natin."
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Hanggang sa huli, Mam Julian, maraming salamat po.