Recently I made a wonderful discovery about my dear Lola Epang. And I'd like to share it to everybody, especially to my dear cousins, in the hope that in so doing, they'll feel closer to her just like how I feel right now ...
I had the privilege of working in the Academic Vice President's Office of Xavier University as Assistant to the Academic Vice President. This office handles everything that has to do with the Academic Cluster of the University, meaning, all the Schools and Colleges, the Registrar's Office, and the University Library.
In one of my discussions with the AVP Staff, out of nowhere I suddenly remembered that I once heard from a member of my family that Lola used to teach in Xavier a long long time ago. Out of curiosity, I asked Ms Belle, the Administrative Assistant, if they still have the records of past faculty members . She nodded her head and said yes and asked me details about Lola. Then she disappeared for a moment and went into our conference room where we kept all the records.
After a few minutes, she came out of the storage area carrying a worn out brown envelope containing Lola's file. I was excited!
Inside the brown envelope were Lola's documents: her typewritten application letter addressed to the University President then; a copy of her transcript of records; a document showing her past teaching experiences; and a few more personal information. The papers were all worn and yellow, a sign of aging ...
True to what I heard, Lola did teach in Xavier! She did in June of 1967, 6 months before my birth. And I also found out she was the Chairman of the Rank and Promotions Committee.
I also found her school records, and lo and behold, I found out she had an MA from Manuel L. Quezon in Manila. She even wrote a journal for Philippine Normal College in Manila for her Thesis.
For someone like me struggling to finish my doctoral degree in education while teaching in college, her success is amazing! And come to think she did it when most women (that time) were probably not so much into developing careers. I was told she
was the first professional from her hometown.
I felt a pang of loneliness for my lola. At that moment I felt so proud to be her grand daughter. I told my officemates how I felt and I asked if I could photocopy her records as a keepsake. I did not only photocopy them, I scanned them and saved them in my notebook.
By the way, I discovered too, that during that time, Lolo was a Cashier of Philippine National Bank, Corrales Branch here in Cagayan de Oro City. That too, is a great feat for someone who ran away from his home when he was a boy, and who ended up here in Cagayan de Oro as a pulot boy at Nazareth's tennis court.
Reflecting on my own career path, I am glad I am following Lola's path. We may have differed in our fields of interest and expertise (for she was into Home Economics as an Educator while I am into Business Management/Entrepreneurship/Education), but we are both in the noblest profession of all, teaching.
I am proud to have been a product of one good educated lady, Lola Epang. And I love her dearly. I hope I am making her proud of who I am now, of what I have become, and by who I will be!
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