Fulfilling their dreams

Last week my undergrad class organized a send-off party for Juanchi Pablo and Kino Aquino who will be leaving the country to pursue their PhD's. This opportunity is a fulfillment of their dreams. On our way to Tomas Morato, Quezon City, I told Coy Cabanilla (who, like me, is happily stuck in med), "There was a time na pinangarap din natin 'yan."

Juanchi is taking his PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at the Duke University in North Carolina, while Kino qualified for the Biomedical Engineering program at Boston University. They're flying to the US on August. While it pains me to see them go, I'm comforted by the fact that they'll do great things wherever God would put them.

Juanchi is one of the most brilliant people I've known. I've worked with him for a number of lab experiments and reports. Seeing him work has taught me to think critically, slowly, and unhesitatingly. He is a question-generating machine and in lectures, he wouldn't let go of the topic until he grasped the concept completely. His topping the exams is the rule rather than the exception.

Kino is a pleasure to work with. She does her experiments with finesse, focus, and insight, and I remember that she was one of Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology's most-loved interns because of her efficiency, dedication, and kindness. She's well-rounded too, being well-versed in matters of sports, showbusiness, music, travel, and the latest Science or Nature cover stories.

The party turned out to be our most successful reunion to date—only five were missing. All of us had a great time catching up, and the laughter was unending.

Here are my lab mates from the Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology of Dr. Cynthia Saloma.

While writing this, I just had a fit of nostalgia, so I looked for photos with Kino and Juanchi on them.

Presenting BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Class of 2009. This is the mandatory staircase pose.

Group hug after the College Grad.

I forgot which lab class this was, but it was getting late, and we waiting for our experiments to finish. Notice Carlo Timbol, suffering from facial paralysis. Notice the bald-headed Juanchi, too.

Here's Kino, surrounded in all corners.

And here we were after more than a year of having graduated from Albert Hall, living different lives, but sharing the passion for getting that group portrait right:

Hats off to Anna Robles, our Alumni Boss, who organized this. Sa susunod, iba naman ang ikikick-off. Isn't life just full of possibilities?