Balitaan Fall 2012
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Balitaan Newsletter 55, Fall 2012 www.rpcvphilippines.org [email protected] P.O. Box 100114, Arlington, VA 22210 PCAFPD helps Rico Ancog accept a was doing science with North American scientific professional opportunity practices. He met people with whom he will be able From interview with Sarah McMeans to collaborate in the future. In October, Rico Ancog, a 2004 graduate of Central Rico feels that all of his opportunities flow from his Mindanao University (CMU) with a degree in higher education, which was made possible by the environmental science, and now an Assistant two PCAFPD scholarships. His initial interest in Professor in the School of Environmental Science science was sparked by the Youth Ecology Club and Management at the started by PCV Marin Aldrich at his high school in University of the Philippines Los Bilar, Bohol in 1997-98. She encouraged him to apply Baños (UPLB), presented a paper for the initial PCAFPD scholarship and wrote a at the Student Conference on recommendation for him. Conservation Science at the Rico loves the teaching and research that he is now American Museum of Natural doing and enjoys mentoring graduate students for History in NYC. Rico’s paper, Plant their MS degrees. He plans to continue teaching for Diversity and Vulnerability Analysis of Philippine 3 to 5 years before undertaking more advanced Indigenous Upland Ecosystems, was one of 25 papers studies and looks forward to a lifetime of research selected for an oral presentation. The conference and teaching. brought together several hundred graduate After the conference, he took the bus to students, postdoctoral fellows and early career Washington, DC, where he visited the Smithsonian professionals from many countries to share their Environmental Research Center, the Sackler Gallery conservation research, including the impact of of Asian Art, JFK’s gravesite at Arlington Cemetery climate change on the world’s ecosystems. and took the White House Fall Garden Tour – a Rico received support from PCAFPD for his degree favorite! He also went to the Philippine Embassy, from CMU and for his master’s degree in where the Economic Officer and the Agricultural environmental science at UPLB. He completed his Attaché were very interested in his research and doctorate at UPLB with a Philippines Department of encouraged him to look at the vulnerability of Science and Technology scholarship. people in the Moro Liberated Area, now that an Rico’s paper was part of his dissertation on the agreement has been reached to settle the long vulnerability to climate change of the Mangyan insurgency there. While in DC, Rico met some young people living on the slopes of Mt. Halcom in Oriental RPCVs and attended a board meeting and reception Mindoro. He showed that it is important to consider with PCAFPD supporters. the adaptive resilience local people have shown to Before heading for home, he rode to Charlotte with changes in their environment, rather than just using PCAFPD Board Member Alex Romero, who treated traditional outside measures, when determining how him to a number of North Carolina attractions. Rico to protect them from the impact of change. was very grateful for the support from PCAFPD that Rico loved the conference because he was able to allowed him to attend the conference and visit DC connect with his counterparts in the academic world and North Carolina. He was very appreciative of the and to look into himself and compare the way he hospitality he enjoyed. ▪ - 2 - Supporters make Rico’s trip possible Painting a college career and create memories for him . Ericka Mae C. Abangan from Pangasinan, is PCAFPD thanks our supporters who responded so majoring in Business Management at Pangasinan quickly to our call to assist Rico Ancog with his travel State University in Lingayen. expenses; and gave him your time and hospitality Entering the world of college is never that easy. while he was on the East Coast. Within two weeks of Since my school is very far from our home, I found a the time PCAFPD sent a Bulletin to its supporters, we boarding house near my school where I met my received $1,695, in checks and online donations, three wonderful roommates who are from different from 26 people: Anonymous, Farrar Atkinson, towns. I am fortunate to live with them because they Patricia Barassi, Linda Bigelow, Ken Bollerud, Sylvia act as older sisters who teach me how to become a Cabus, Maureen Carroll, Steve Dienstfrey, Sally more independent, disciplined and responsible Douglas, Kate French, Sunshine Gibbs, Stephen person. Through them, I also learn how to budget Growdon, Mark Holt, Pat Kasdan, Karen Larson, my money and time enough to balance my different Sarah McMeans, Susan Pons, Alex Romero, Jill roles as an independent student, a good daughter Ruhlman, Jesse Schubert, John Sinton, Elizabeth and a good friend to them. Songalia, Charlotte Tomaszewski, Katherine Tucker, At first, I kept quiet because I was adjusting and Evelyn Mittman Wrin and Deane Wylie. Rico was observing how to get along well with my classmates, treated to lunch in NYC by Paul Aleckson. Charlie as well as with my professors. Concerning their Schwartz (in photo) dialects, I found it quite hard to comprehend what hosted Rico in his they were saying. However, I was able to find a way home in DC for six to have rapport with them in and out of the nights, took him to the classroom. By doing so, they got to know me, my Smithsonian abilities and strengths better, thus leading them to Environmental choose me as a group leader for some of our Research Center (SERC) near Annapolis, to DC subjects, appoint me as an overall director in our landmarks, museums and a tour of the White House final variety show and elect me the external vice Gardens. Snapper Poche arranged the trip to SERC mayor for our class. Through this I gained a lot of and took Rico to dinner with a few other RPCVs. encouragement to excel in every way I can. Dominic Shuler took him out one evening and Julie One of my most memorable experiences was when Cerquiera took him to a club to show him a bit of I was the first reporter in our Art Appreciation and night life in DC. Maureen Carroll met him at the bus Aesthetics subject, where our professor is also our station, gave him the White House Fall Garden Tour adviser. We are blessed to have him because he is tickets, accompanied him to the Philippine Embassy known as “Sir OPS” (Outstanding Professor Special). and hosted a reception in her home for PCAFPD Actually, the day of my report I got slightly nervous, supporters. Alex Romero picked him up in DC and knowing that our professor is sometimes a terror; I drove him to Charlotte, NC, for the last few days of was worried if he was in that mood that day. In his stay, where he met with UPLB order to make him appreciate my report, I sought alumna Aileen Lapitan, a doctoral unique ways of reporting and added some funny program candidate in Public punch lines. At the end of my report, they gave me a Policy at UNCC; visited farm areas big hand. Then my professor told me that he liked and a cotton gin; enjoyed a live my presentation a lot, and he even told it to his NBA basketball game; toured the other classes. That was really awesome. I will never WCNC TV studios; went to the forget this professor. Charlotte Aviation Museum and I realize that college life is formed by different lines the Charlotte NASCAR Motor Speedway. In short, and curves that make a career a beautiful painting. I many of you pitched in to get Rico to the US and to am the painter who decides and chooses what it will give him a memorable time during his whirlwind trip look like. ▪ to the East Coast. ▪ - 3 - Of counseling and the finish line. He told me to stay motivated and to reflecting accomplish things one at a time, which I tried to do. I Orange Happee P. Omengan, am tired but I have to keep running up to the last from Mountain Province, is step of the race. As a psychology student, it seems studying psychology at St. Louis that I should be more able in coping and University in Baguio City. encouraging myself to keep going. Aside from my family and my willingness to have a I still remember what our high school principal bright future, PCAFPD continues to motivate me to reiterated during our senior year. He told us that the keep learning. I have only one semester left and I will finish line of our high school race was near so we try to finish the race with flying colors! ▪ had to keep sprinting until we reach it. Back then, it was not so difficult to maintain my pace on the track Just believe in yourself because I was not so overwhelmed by my idea of Venice Laurence N. Cosico , from college life, so I was able to maintain my focus Laguna, is an agriculture major during the last months before graduation. But now studying soil science at the that I am in my fourth year in college, the race is University of the Philippines, Los different and what comes after it is more Baños. challenging. I honestly feel anxiety about the future. What will happen to me? What field of psychology This is not only an essay that tells what I have will I pursue? Where will I look for a job? And the learned inside the classroom, but also an essay that bigger question is: Will I be qualified? tells the story of achieving my childhood dream.