S.T.A. ALUMNI HOMECOMING 2016 HOSTED BY ELEMENTARY BATCH ’87 AND HIGHSCHOOL BATCH ‘91 “GET STAMPED: TATAK THERESIAN”

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS

Homecomings and reunions are bittersweet events we look forward to with excitement and anticipation.  It has after all been 25 years since we graduated from high school at St. Theresita’s Academy (STA), and we are all excited to see each other again.  We have a lot of catching up to do.  Despite having facebook to keep us in touch, nothing beats seeing each other, sharing stories and reminiscing the days we spent in STA.  After years of being apart, some for more than 30 years, we simply miss each other’s company, and hearing familiar voices and laughter brings back a lot of happy memories.  This transports us back to our carefree days when we were just children with no worries and without a care in the world.

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS IN ELEMENTARY

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS IN HIGH SCHOOL WITH SR. MONICA MORENO, SSJ

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS IN FOURTH YEAR HIGH SCHOOL

We prepared for our silver jubilee homecoming for years.  We would meet during Christmas or when a classmate would come home from abroad, to plan for that big day.  We even started collecting funds and opened a bank account to get us started.  Along the way, we have encountered some snags and snarls, but this did not stop us from our plans.  And a year before the event, we hosted a Bingo fundraiser during the alumni homecoming of Batch ’90.  Some of the proceeds of which, we gave to STASCEFI scholarship fund.  It was also about this time when our theme “Get STAmped” was conceptualized for the turn over ceremony of the hosting of the alumni homecoming.  The theme was about getting stamped with Theresian virtues and values.  Then shortly thereafter, the actual preparations for the hosting began.  We elected our officers and working committee heads through on line voting on facebook, we also started with our fundraising plans and disseminated plans for setting up of pledges for contributions. 

For our theme, we wanted something that could transcend generations of Theresians, thus we came up with “Get Stamped: Tatak Theresian”.  This embodies the Theresian values we carry with us, throughout our lives.

Activities for the Alumni Homecoming included fundraising activities organized by our fundraising committee, like our Easter Sunday and Silay City Fiesta  rummage sale and sale of raffle tickets for the batch’s pledge to help in the completion of the newly constructed building. 

Another activity was the turnover to STASCEFI of the batch’s contribution to the scholarship fund.  With the date of the event coming close, we secured various permits for our different activities, practiced for the dance presentation and met regularly for the updating of plans.  Then a few days before October 1, we appeared on a local television show, to promote the homecoming and invited Theresians to come and join the celebration. A day before the event, we had our fundraiser raffle draw which was a success, thanks to the STA community particularly the students, parents and teachers, the alumni and our families and friends who helped by buying and selling tickets.

Ana Carlota Eslawa Buyco(President of Silver Jubilarians 2016)

with Sr. Anita Bago, SSJ

For the actual day activities itself, we started with a mass which was celebrated by our former high school retreat master. 

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS 

Then we had a motorcade participated by the students and different alumni batches.  

Upon arrival of the motorcade at school, we had a dance demonstration contest participated by different batches and teachers.  

SSJ SISTERS WITH ALUMNI

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS

THE RUBIE JUBILARIANS

NEXT YEAR'S GOLDEN JUBILARIANS

STA FACULTY

At lunchtime, we gathered the STA community, our former mentors, and the golden jubilarians for a tribute lunch held at the school auditorium.  We acknowledged the golden and silver jubilarians, and gave our tribute to our teachers and our alma mater.  We also endorsed to STA through the school’s directress, Sr. Naty Maravilla, SSJ, our pledge for the completion of the new building which came from the proceeds of the raffle draw.  

SRS. NATIVIDAD AND ANITA WITH SILVER JUBILARIANS

SILVER JUBILARIAN WITH A FORMER STA TEACHER

While we were having our tribute, batch ’92 hosted a Bingo fundraiser.  There was also a volleyball game in the afternoon.  

In the evening, the batch’s dinner and program was held for the first time at a new venue, at Silay City Civic Center, and was well attended by the SSJ sisters, STA community, different alumni batches and guests.

SSJ SISTERS

SSJ SISTERS

STA STAFF

STA FACULTY

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS

THE GOLDEN JUBILARIANS

MIXED GROUP FROM BATCHES '67, '68, '69, 70'

THE NEXT YEAR'S SILVER JUBILARIANS

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS WITH THEIR KIDS

As with any group preparing for something momentous, we were all excited, eager to pitch in ideas but at the same time nervous for the plans to be successful.  With budget constraints, we had to be resourceful.  We kept communication lines open and learned to appreciate technology and social media.  It was a group effort that paid off.  Everyone in the batch felt proud to have shared their time, effort and resources for the success of our hosting.  Some batch-mates were unable to attend but, they were surely remembered fondly during the celebration. 

Seeing fellow alumni celebrating with us, and the support of the SSJ community who were all present all throughout the event, we all felt a sense of pride and fulfillment for having  been host to this year’s alumni homecoming. And when it was all over; when all the hectic preparations and the excitement has subsided, we all felt nostalgic that just as fast as the days of preparation was, the homecoming and everything we had prepared for has also suddenly come to an end.  We were sad to part ways again, but we all know and feel that somehow we had reconnected and it was truly a coming home for all of us.

THE SILVER JUBILARIANS

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Ana Carlota Eslawa Buyco

President of Silver Jubilarians 2016