Dear Loved Ones,

Pleasant Greetings to everyone! Hope we all spent Holy Week reflecting on God’s Goodness, Mercy, and Love, through Jesus’ Passion, Death and glorious Resurrection! March 25 was my son’s coming into full adulthood – 21 years – Happy Birthday Sean!

I cherish the times spent teaching in Pinas at the PUP Graduate School since 1997 (when I had my Ph. D.), as it allowed me to share, not only my competencies, but personal values as well, to my students. I devoted my Saturdays in school (12:00 – 9:00pm) including the summer terms, waived my social life, teaching Projects Development and Management, Production Management, Management Science, among others. Students were mostly supervisors working in government agencies (DPWH, NIA, MWSS, LRT, MMDA, CB, etc.) on their way to managerial promotions. Aside from the lessons, I always share the ‘key success factors’ from ‘The Millionaire Mind’: Integrity (honesty in everything we do), Personal Discipline (self-control), Social Skills (getting along well with people), Hard Work (more than most others), and Supportive Family. I believe that my sharing raised their awareness and values/conscience, then somehow minimized the ‘corruptive influence of the environment in handling public works projects’. Interacting with students afforded me joyful satisfaction and meaningful purpose in life!

Thus, it was a positive ‘de javu’ experience when I conducted the MNS205 – Quantitative Methods for Business class this month for the government employees of the City of Roseville, at the City Training Center. The City arranged with NU for ‘higher education’ of their employees at their site, for Master degree in Public Administration. My students are engineers of Public Works, auditors/accountants of County offices, technicians at Rocklin County, etc. I am highly inspired to do my best in teaching. Among 15 students are two Jackson – Ross and Norine. Curiously, I asked Ross whether they are related and he replied: “She is my mother’. He’s an engineer at Public Works while Norine is auditor at Placer County. Norine grinned ear to ear when I commented: ‘I thought you were siblings or husband/wife. What amazing circumstance – that they are in the journey for higher education together – mother and son! My findings: The mother is doing better than the son. This may be attributed to various factors: she is more mature, more confident, more focused – at over 50 years, she has more relaxed life; while the son in his thirties, has to balance life responsibilities – career, husband, father – so he has more pressure/ stress.

In the class too, is a Pinay (Michelle Balonso-Rinne) who finished high school at Holy Family School in Q.C. (back of Claret School where my Sean graduated) and we lived in the same neighborhood at UP Diliman, where we stayed in our condo for six years. Another lady, a procurement officer at Rocklin County, is married to a Filipino (Nunez- she says he is very good). MNS 205 is a pre-requisite for higher MNS 407- Management Science, which they are scheduled to take later this year, and for which I was already appointed to handle too.

On my 1st year teaching at PUP, Dr. Rodolfo de Lara asked me to teach half of his big class (for Ph.D. students) – Strategic Management/Business Policy and Decision-Making - handled by experienced professors. It was real challenge for me, but I was honored by his trust and willing to learn, so I accepted his offer. Whatever teaching subjects they gave, I accepted heartily. It was a similar situation early in my career, when Dean Matias Arreola (of MLQ University) took me as Faculty, while I was his student in M.S. Mathematics course. Dean Arreola (top Pinas Mathematician - author of many books) assigned me to handle Differential/Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, and other CE subjects, in addition to giving me the responsibility to assign teaching loads to professors in the Mathematics and Civil Eng departments. He became our wedding sponsor and eventually, recommended me to work at the National Power Corporation, where I spent 20 years. Likewise, in 1975, Dean Francisco Reyes of UST Engineering took me in as Faculty; then also, as Faculty of FEU Engineering. Even as a student, I started teaching Catechism in Kamuning, QC with the UST Legion of Mary/Pax Romana; started professional teaching at PMI Colleges where I met my husband in 1972. Even then, I was into Linear/Simplex Programming, which I still enjoy doing, but with more complex real-world applications. 36 years later, I conclude teaching - this time to Americans – is my vocation/passion! The bonus is – being paid at what I love doing best. Lesson: Never shirk from challenges, these are learning opportunities meant to prepare you for higher life roles. I will always be grateful to my mentors and pray for them!

Attached are current photos: Sean at 21, and at home. Let us continue to pray for our country and people, and in America at this difficult time of recession, where many are losing homes and employment. Peace and Joy to You and God Bless us all!!!

Much love and Best Regards!!!

SUSAN BG