by Ruby Kagaoan – Calo
Four years of studying at the International School Manila has made my daughter Nicole a full person who understands the world in its many depths and dimensions. Had she stayed as a student studying at a local school, her brilliant mind would not have been as utilized and as developed as it has been as a student and scholar of ISM. I believe, then, her outstanding accomplishments, beyond her impressive honors-track grades and triumphs as a writer, are having expanded her heart, mind, and spirit to encompass so much of humanity and of creation – the seen and the unseen, the discovered and fully known and the yet unexplored – and learning to think creatively, critically, and inferentially to a point of becoming a person living a life meaningful to herself, to the world, and to the future. She knows who she is and what she wants out of life. She has become unshakable in character and conviction. She knows which is and which isn’t important, and she focuses her mind only on what will make her life full, meaningful, and relevant. Those, for me, are accomplishments that only true education can bring about.
Nicole has shown the most growth in her ability to reflect, decide, and process what she perceives. Certainly, her cognitive skills have developed into a level fit for the international arena because of her learning environment at ISM. But more than this, her ability to endure difficulties and persevere were tested these past years, and by this time, I can see that she is ready emotionally to be on her own. I am confident that if and when Nicole studies in North America or any other foreign land, she will be safe and she will prosper. Her sense of judgment has grown strong and formidable.
Nicole, Grade 11, March 1, 2010
Nicole is humble. She never complained about the little she has, and she makes the most of whatever little is in her hands. Although we, as a family, live simply, she never saw herself separated by a great divide from those in her school who have plenty. Humble, yet confident. She isn’t intimidated by anything. She faces the world bravely. She chooses the weak and helps them to become strong. This is something her ISM teachers have consistently pointed out to me over the years, saying that they are amazed at Nicole because she picks those not so good in class to be her group mates, even though she knows doing so can bring her grades down, and she helps them perform well in their submissions and presentations. That is Nicole. She knows that what is important about the very extraordinary education she is receiving from ISM is the opportunity to learn how to make a difference.
Nicole at 5 months
I’m so proud of Nicole and what she has become. She is a living testimony of what a mother’s love can do. I look at the photo when she was 5 months old – so tender, pure, and innocent as her loving mother carries her with a big smile of unspeakable joy on her face. Safe and secure in her mother’s arms, in her mother’s embrace. Home schooled at a tender age, her foundational years. Oh how she is loved and adored by her mother. The first to come, the oldest among her siblings, the first to be loved. Surely the first to experience her mother’s love. Her mother praises her, her teachers speak well of her, her friends learn much from her. Nicole, the brilliant and humble daughter, the love of her mom. I am proud of her and what she has become.
Hi Ruby,
First time to read this blog you wrote about Nicole. My…i can see how proud you are of her… I can feel how much love you have for her…oh my dear..the sacrifices you have gone through making sure that all of them are taken care of…