Coming home in blue, maroon

By Herman M. Lagon

This weekend, I will be coming home twice—once in blue, once in maroon. Two schools. Two identities. Two sets of memories. But one grateful heart returning to where so much of who I am was shaped, sharpened, and sent out into the world.

On Saturday night, July 26, I will walk back into Ateneo de Iloilo-Santa Maria Catholic School for our grand alumni homecoming, fittingly called “Big Blue Night: Magis Madness—Coming Home to Where It All Began.” And yes, it really does feel like that—a homecoming to where everything began. I spent more than two decades within those walls, first as a Physics teacher who juggled chalk, test papers, and caffeine, and later as an administrator navigating school expansions, policy shifts, and even typhoon “no class” announcements. If I am remembering right, over 5,000 Ateneans-Santa Marians passed through during my time, not to mention more than 250 brilliant, passionate, and at times overworked co-teachers and staff who carried the school with me.

Some of my former students may come up to say, “Sir, do you still remember me?” And while the names may blur with time, the stories do not. The boy who once failed a quiz but now designs bridges. The girl who struggled with confidence but now heads her own class. These stories never left. They live quietly in every teacher’s back pocket.

But this return is also deeply personal. My two daughters—one now a doctor and the other a special education teacher abroad—are both proud alumni of Ateneo de Iloilo. This school did not just form them academically. It grounded them with purpose, discipline, and conscience. Whatever good they now do in the world traces its roots back to the same classrooms, retreats, and values formation programs I once served. For that, I owe this school more than words could ever capture. Even in retirement, now wearing the hat of a college professor, a part of me still walks those Ateneo halls. I may have left the post, but it has never really left me.

I also salute the current leaders who continue to steer this community with wisdom and warmth: OIC President Fr. Braulio “Bong” Dahunan, SJ, and incoming President Fr. Arnel “Atong” Ang, SJ. Under their watch, I know the mission and apostolate will stay true to its core: forming men and women for others, always choosing the better path, and doing it with love.

Then, come Sunday morning, July 27, I will switch colors. From blue to maroon. From Magis to Maroonong. From past to present. At the UPV Little Theater, our first-ever reunion of Master of Education graduates will finally happen—more than 40 years since the program began in 1981. Over 700 educators have finished the course, and now, we are finally gathering. Not just to reconnect, but to give shape to something lasting: the UP Visayas Master of Education Alumni Association (UPVMEDAA). A quiet dream that began over coffee and cake is now becoming a real, organized community of practice.

Our theme—”Maroonong Guro ng Bayan”—says it all. It is a reminder that we are not just graduates with diplomas. We are nation-builders with missions. I think of our 2019 MEd Guidance batch—ten misfits and multitaskers, all tired but stubbornly hopeful. We cried in counseling circles, psychoanalyzed ourselves in personality classes, and drank way too much ShareTea while writing capstones. There were inside jokes, videoke sessions, road trips, and paper deadlines that pushed us to the edge—but we made it. Today, we are all registered guidance counselors, leading in schools and offices across the country and beyond. We are still holding space for others, the way UP once held space for us.

And I cannot let this moment pass without honoring Chancellor Dr. Clement Camposano. Under his leadership, UPV has continued to grow in reach, relevance, and heart. This reunion is not just about looking back. It is about stepping forward—recommitting to the kind of education that uplifts, challenges, and heals. Because maroon is not just a color. It is a calling.

Later that same day, I will head to the UPV Auditorium once again—this time for the grand alumni homecoming of all UPV graduates. I am especially excited to see friends and colleagues I marched with during the Leni Robredo campaign, and others I worked alongside in various cause-driven and volunteer initiatives. These are Mga Iskolar ng Bayan who know that service is not seasonal. It is a habit of heart. And I know that when we meet again, it will be as much a reunion of purpose as it is of people.

Reunions are not just sentimental events. They are soul checks. They ask you gently but firmly, “What have you done with what we gave you?” They remind you that teaching is not about perfection. It is about presence. And that our biggest impact is often invisible until the years echo it back.

This weekend, I expect hugs, shared stories, a few off-key songs, and quiet moments of recommitment. Because at the center of both Ateneo and UP lies the same truth: education is relationship. Not just between teacher and student, but between self and society. Between then and now. Between the person you were and the person you are still becoming.

So to both UP and Ateneo, I say thank you. For giving me my roots and my wings. For forming not just my profession, but my personhood. And for helping me raise daughters who now serve the world with grace and grit.

This weekend, I go back not as a guest—but as someone who never really left.

***

Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.