Thank you very much for your kind wishes and understanding. I wish you and the Wahyanites a joyous and inspiring gathering this weekend. 

Even though I could not be there, I remain grateful to your invitation. Even more, I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect upon the impact of my four years at WYK. With hindsight and the advantage of a maturing mind, I came to appreciate anew those aspects of the Way Yan education that were apparent at the time even to a naïve teenager (the cream-of-the-crop peer group and the permeating excellence) and to discover those aspects that were absorbed but not made conscious by an inexperienced mind (the exemplary compassion of outstanding educators such as Father Cochrane who always stopped for students and who always showed care, the leadership of fellow students who asserted themselves in services, and an an educational environment that supported the mind, body and spirit). 

I realized that in my current role as an educator, some of my ideals have been shaped by my formative years at WYK. The beauty of true education lies in its seeding and fostering of young minds which can later bloom in different shapes and forms. Speaking of which, I was not a typically successfully WYK student even though I was placed in the front rank of students. I excelled in humanities in a school that favored sciences, and the sheer strength of my arts and humanities grades thrust me into the sciences-heavy A class despite my struggle with chemistry, physics and upper math. It was an odd fit while I was at WYK but also an early life lesson that helped me forge an independent mind and an awareness to persevere for one's passion and purpose. 

I do hope that nowadays, WYK nurtures top students in both arts and sciences, or even better, as the best educational models today recognize, cross-pollinate among disciplines for today's students who must thrive in a world that is breaking down silos with accelerating speed. Such wishes and hopes aside, WYK gave me a life-lasting education that, like many fine things, gains in depth and significance with time. 

Thank you to WYK and those who make it WYK.