with Nelia Dingcong-Bernabe

I am in town this week for the recently concluded Golden Jubilee celebration of St. John’s Institute. It was a hectic three days to say the least. As soon as I got here, I dove into a flurry of activities that allowed me to reconnect with my past and revisit my old stomping ground.

Starting with the electric parade from SM to the grounds of St. John’s to the awards night interspersed with intimate dinners with old friends, it was an emotional walk down the proverbial memory lane.

I saw familiar faces, had the chance to experience my alma mater’s rich Chinese heritage all over again and immersed myself in the warmth of familiar surroundings.

It was really good to be home.

Decades later, thousands of St. John’s alumni gathered in the very special place where it all started, where dreams first took shape and where the Johnian spirit was born.

Armed with 12 wonderful years of superb education, lasting friendships and unforgettable memories, Johnians went in pursuit of their destinies. They are now doctors, lawyers, engineers, business people, architects, accountants, great moms and dads but most of all, they are wonderful human beings.

They carry with utmost pride and joy the values and lesson that St. John’s and their teachers have taught them. The Johnian spirit has allowed their alumni to cross cultural boundaries, promote goodwill and understanding and make this world a better place by spreading compassion and kindness.

 Living in the United States for a while now, I was quickly reminded when I got here earlier this week by what it means to be a part of this tight-knit community, a community of sisterhood and brotherhood that goes all the way back to when most of us were just doe-eyed five-year-olds.

It was a proud moment for me to be part of the parade that felt like I walked forever. It was really a surreal moment to see five decades flashed before my eyes. I welcomed the familiar nudge as I watched the dragon dance, heard the sound of the drums and gong and saw kids in their Chinese costumes.

As I walked the streets of Rizal, Lacson and 6th, my mind travelled back to over 30 years ago when going to St. John’s meant going to a school where mediocrity was not an option, where accepting the school’s style of discipline was as natural as the air you breathe and where students were expected to meld the academics with the Catholic faith.

The 20 hours or so that I spent in different airports and planes to get to Bacolod from my home in Chicago was not a deterrent for me. Like I told my friends, I would not have missed it for the world.

The awards night showcased the grandeur that is St. John’s. Watching the highlights of the last 50 years and hearing the testimonies of community leaders, alumni, teachers and current students, I sat in my chair oozing with so much pride. The vision of Msgr. John Su and Msgr. John Liu has transformed so many lives, has become the springboard for many successes, and has contributed to the intricate fibre of this city and the world at large.

Thirty two years later, I am forever grateful for the chance to come back for now everything makes perfect sense – the discipline, the stringent rules, the many do’s and don’ts, the unspoken credo to reach one’s full potential, our relationship with God that was instilled in all of us early on in life and that innate desire to reach out and help.

Every Johnian has countless stories and anecdotes that would best describe what it means to be one. Our experience as students there may not be unique but what sets us apart is the unique way that we’ve all managed to graduate undeterred and with so much conviction. To be a student of St. John’s back then meant accepting the corporal punishment as part of our life for 12 years.

Things may be different now but the intrinsic brand of discipline our school is known for will always be a trademark. And believe it or not, the kind of discipline that we were subjected to for years has carried us and it has continually allowed us to live our lives years later in its shadows. Not a bad thing and no one is really complaining.

In a few days, I will once again be heading home, thousands of miles away and across the Pacific Ocean where the cold and mounds of snow await. The wonderful sights and scents of the tropics will sit in a special place in my mind. The familiar faces and soothing voices of family and friends though distant will forever be cherished. The memories of the parade and the alumni night will sit snugly in my heart.

When I first found out that my alma mater will be celebrating her Golden Jubilee sometime in the summer last year, I started dreaming of coming home to celebrate with my two brothers who also graduated from St. John’s, my mother who is a retired teacher of the school, my classmates from Batch 1977 and old friends and teachers.

A few months later that dream came true this week. It is definitely everything that I thought it would be and more for I am bringing back with me that wonderful realization that to be a Johnian is what I was born to be and I won’t have it any other way. Being one encompasses a lot of wonderful things but it also carries a sense of responsibility that I have to respect wherever I go and whatever I do.

The Johnian spirit will live on forever in every kid who is lucky and was lucky enough to call St. John’s Institute home for 12 years (or less). You can smell (or spot) a Johnian when he or she is in your midst. You’ll know because it won’t take long for you to realize that the person you are talking to comes from a special place. And when your curiosity gets the better of you, try asking that person where he or she went to school; chances are you’ll hear them say St. John’s. That special thing that you can’t quite put your finger on? That’s the Johnian spirit! It’s really hard to miss.

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