About the Book

PROLOGUE & ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We all welcomed 2021 with the hope that a vaccine will protect us from Covid 19.

Plans were underway to gather this year on our beautiful campus to celebrate our Golden High School Reunion 2021. Unfortunately, the global pandemic situation stole the spotlight and we had to cancel and consider everyone’s health and best interest. However, these challenging times did not stop us from lifting each other and celebrating the good memories and honor the friendships that we have formed for five decades.

In March 2021, a group of golden high-spirited classmates and myself, got together with the idea of creating a special keepsake to celebrate our class golden year. That is where the idea of a High School Memory Book was born. This group we called, the Memory Book Team, was composed of resilient and determined classmates who showed up on our weekly virtual meetings for the past 9 months. We worked so hard in reconnecting with classmates, collecting memories of our times and marveling at how we and our alma mater have moved forward over the last five decades. We had a wonderful time reflecting at the things that happened to us early in our lives. In a way, we had our own virtual reunion.

As a group, it was quite a challenge to reach out to classmates from four different continents. However, through the help of emails, text messages and a couple of phone blitzes, we were able to find and include as many classmates as possible. For those of you who were growing a little weary of receiving these text messages we trust your understanding.

Having great ideas and turning it into a memory book is as hard as it sounds. The experience is both internally challenging and rewarding. The love and teamwork poured into this project was impressive and it took a village to see this come to a reality.

First, thank you Lord for blessing us with your guidance, wisdom, patience, and support to get through this project. All glory is yours!

I would like to thank the members of Class’71 and faculty staff for their participation in submitting a memory page. We appreciate your enthusiasm.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped us through this wonderful journey:

To the members of the team: There was no doubt in our mind that we could produce a High School Memory Book worthy of our “golden celebration.” Kudos galore and heaps of thanks go to the devoted efforts of our team. We all made sacrifices to make it all happen. Thank you for the incredible commitment and dedication. You are some of the most amazing people that I have ever worked with, and I am humbled by your generosity and support. You are simply the best.

To Edith: Thank you to our “Team Crier” you diligently sent out messages, coordinated our zoom meetings and made it sure that we started and ended on a timely manner. Thank you for your insights, constructive critiques, and creative skills you have shared in getting this book a reality. (‘About the Book’ continued on Page 2)

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To Carmen Reese and Marcia Ocampo: You both have a great eye for creativity. Thank you for sharing your artistic skills and ideas.

To Milet and Susie: Thank you to our “Dynamic Duo” (Robin and Antwoman) for all your time, patience, and arduous work in providing this project with pictures from our high school days and the present. I hugely appreciate your tenacity in making contacts with every member of our class and achieved a good participation.

To Vicky: Thank you for playing the role of the “Creative Book Manager.” Your expertise in laying out all the amazing ideas and suggestions helped us get to a final product that made us say, “Yes, we finally have a book!” We appreciate the extraordinary hours and matchless care in the development of this book.

Nobody has been more important to all of us in pursuit of this project than one team member who wishes to be anonymous. She is an ultimate role model who provided us with unending inspiration. We say tremendous thanks for your support and generosity.

Enjoy these pages filled with stories, life experiences and photos that capture the special connection that bonds us together and to our beloved alma mater, Siena College.

Lastly, looking forward to seeing you next time but till then, let us continue to reignite our connection and friendship by staying in touch.

Peace,

Shirley Layson-Bautista

scqc.edu.ph

Artist acknowledgement | Online picture: Stock free pixaby clipart/pictures

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

- Henry Ford