Taking the Next Big Leap after BUILD

After five amazing years at BUILD, I’ve chosen to take the next big leap in my life: this summer I’m going to graduate school at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Yes, I’m going back to school! I’m moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts! I’m going to Harvard! 2010 is truly the year of leaping and landing.

I’ll have more to say about BUILD over the next few months as we go through transition — I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done over the last several years, and very optimistic about what the future holds. I’m deeply indebted to the BUILD staff for believing in me, challenging me and trusting me with our flagship site. All of our amazing mentors, volunteers, and board members have been crucial to BUILD’s success as well, and I would be remiss if I did not thank you all.

And I especially am grateful to our BUILD students and alumni, who continually inspire me to do the work that we do and show me that our society’s educational inequities and problems CAN be solved… even if it is one student at a time.

I’m pretty sure that I’ll have more to say about my Harvard experience as I transition to the East Coast. Ya’ll know that education is extremely important to me — and I specifically wanted to model that by going back and getting more education. Special shout out to my parents for instilling the love of learning in me! And they say it takes a village… to raise a child, and then send that child to college, and then to send that child to grad school. I want to communicate a deep gratitude to all of the people who aided me throughout the application process: Oudete, Karla, Chantal, Suzanne, Larisa, Sal, Tim, Amber, Craig, Kenyon, Alex, Jim, Amber, Sandie, Regan, Steve, Adriana, Elizabeth, Tony, Jed, Richie, Bola, and of course my family–Mom, Dad, Francis & Rachel. I literally could not have taken this gigantic next step without you!

Below is a note I sent out to everyone in the BUILD Family, with a little bit more explanation for why I chose to go to Harvard.

Onward & upward!



Dear BUILD Family,

Over the last five years, BUILD has grown in significant ways. We have expanded into three sites with a robust, life-changing and innovative program. I have had the privilege of working with phenomenal BUILD students, aiding their growth into confident young entrepreneurs and college students. And I have had the opportunity to work with talented community members and partners, like you, in the fight for educational equity. I am so proud of all that we have accomplished together in my five years at BUILD.

This summer I am about to embark on another personal journey. It is with careful thought and great anticipation that I want to let you know that this will be my last school year with BUILD. In August, I will pursue a master in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Pursuing my education in this country has been a lifelong dream. This next step will allow me to be a better leader for communities of youth in our country and around the world. After delving deeper into education policy in graduate school, my goal is to affect systemic, transformational change in the education sector at national and international levels. Although it is hard for me to even imagine leaving BUILD (and California!), I would be a hypocrite if I did not take risks in the way we ask our students to.

The BUILD Peninsula site is in good hands. Nicole Oppenheim, our current E1 program manager, will be the next site director of the BUILD Peninsula site, and I have the utmost confidence that she will lead the Peninsula team to achieve new and exciting heights. Her management experience and innovative vision and implementation of our freshman year program showcase her qualifications for the site director position.

My last day at BUILD will be on July 16th, and I encourage you to please reach out directly if you have any questions before I leave in the summer. I am equally available on phone or email.

Thank you for our relationship, your continued support of BUILD and your partnership in the fight for educational equity.

With deep appreciation and gratitude,

Rey

PS - Because of the transitions, we are hiring an Academic Program Manager and an E1 Program Manager at the Peninsula site as well as a few other positions in Oakland, DC and our Headquarters. Please check out our website for more information and please spread the word: http://www.build.org/browse/employment

PPS - I’d love to stay in touch with you: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter

First attempt at writing a song

Since one of my goals for 2010 was to write a song, I thought I’d give it a shot on this lovely / gloomy San Francisco day.

Loving Space

Here are the full lyrics for “Loving Space”:

I just wish I could do something for you
But I know I can’t
The delusions of a warm embrace
The instant fire when my lips touch your face
It’s attachment
Emotion, packed, spirits, love
Attachment

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
Trying to give you loving space
Through distance and time
I thought our love would climb
Instead, I saw clearly

You were in pieces, shattered and scattered
But I didn’t care
The hope that we could be forever
Without being together, no matter
We deserve better than
Attachment

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
Trying to give you loving space
Through distance and time
I thought our love would climb
Instead, I saw clearly
Take it easy
Baby can you see me
Take it easy
Can you see me

Even in your darkest place
You could count on my loving space
I would climb down those trenches
Brace the defenses
But I realized I love me more

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
Trying to give you loving space
Through distance and time
I thought our love would climb
Instead, I saw clearly
Take it easy
Baby can you see me
Take it easy
Can you even see me?

I flew 10,000 miles, all the while
I’ll give you loving space

New Years Goals 2010

Leap & Land

2010 is the year of leaping into the unknown and landing into the next great challenge. It’s about taking risks, following your heart, listening to the universe, and opening your eyes to the signs that are guiding you to the next level. I don’t think 2010 is going to be easy.

I think 2010 is going to be a very practical year–a year of rolling up our sleeves and getting things done. If you think of 2009 as the year of preparation, then 2010 is the year of action. And we all know that sometimes it’s not easy to take action. Fear, self-doubt, and distractions will get in the way. But whatever is in store for us in 2010, know that we were born to be there and to take them on.

So I propose that we all take a leap this year. Leave procrastination and fear back in 2009. Do something that you may have been too afraid to do or that you’ve been putting off. Open up your options, make some positive choices, and do something for yourself. Take a leap, and I promise you that you’ll land somewhere amazing.

Alex gave me the "Passion" Angel Card for 2010, and I think it's appropriate

As I do every year during my reflection time, I started by re-examining my goals and values from last year and then brainstorming new goals that fit with my revised personal values. I did not change my personal values at all and have created 10 new goals for 2010.

Personal Values

• Challenging Adventures - I live for new and challenging experiences, whether that’s professionally or personally, with others or in another country. The thrill of adventure stimulates my soul.
• Contribution to the World - I live to make lasting, positive impacts on society’s most pressing problems.
• Expressing Creativity - Being able to express myself artistically, musically or professionally keeps me inspired.
• Lifelong Learning - I love to learn. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence to mastery.
• Quality - I choose to live a full and quality life, which is neither excessive nor is it below my standards of excellence.
• Family & Friends - Above all, my life is about the people I choose to journey with. They are my heart.

New Years Goals 2010

1. Go on a spiritual journey
2. Take a GIGANTIC risk
3. Get more involved and make a positive impact in the gay community by doing some gay rights advocacy work
4. Learn how to write music and then write a song
5. Build something with my hands
6. Continue improving my Tagalog comprehension and speaking skills
7. Deepen my spiritual practice (yoga, Catholicism)
8. Read at least 8 new books
9. Connect with my international relatives at least once a month
10. Continue spending time with family members

It’s going to be a phenomenal year, and I can’t wait to face it head on. So here’s to leaping and landing into all of the goodness in store for 2010!

End of the Year Check-in 2009

The goal is just a blip. I was reminded about that at yoga. When you master your mind you’ll realize the pose (e.g. your goal) doesn’t matter. Getting fixated on a goal closes our minds to all other possibilities of surpassing that small blip (the goal). Dropping the fixation lets us move through the world with greater ease, and gives us a better capacity to help others. Goals are useful, but they’re not the end-all and be-all.

2009 was my year of the Epic Journey. There were so many blessings this year that that acted like a domino effect. When one door opened, yet another window opened. It was a journey into receiving a ton of love from the universe and from God. It was sometimes heart-wrenching, other times incredibly joyful, but through it all, I definitely felt loved and gave love. I deepened friendships to levels that I didn’t know existed, and I formed family bonds that I only dreamed of. In a word, 2009 was a blessing. Here’s a quick run down of the events:

• Getting my citizenship!!!
• Lots of traveling! Two trips to Chicago, two trips to DC, two trips to Vegas, and two trips to LA
• Epic trip to the Philippines with my brother
• Grandmother’s 80th birthday in the Philippines
• Cousins bonding trip to Bohol Island
• Amazing trip to Australia
• Cousin Michael’s Wedding in Sydney
• Karla’s wedding to herself in DC
• Rap directing at USC again with Salina and UC Merced with Danny
• GLAAD Media Awards with Jim Freeman and Professor Ben (Robert Gant) from Queer as Folk
• Intimate 10 Year High School Reunion with JARK
• Natasha’s Trojan Wedding
• Singing in a trio at SFGMC’s Home for the Holidays concert on my birthday!
• Attending Memorial services for Michael Jackson and old high school teacher, Ms. Van Hunnick

Here’s my annual update on New Years Goals from 2009:

1. Spend more time with family members - Absolutely, yes!
2. Improve my Tagalog comprehension and speaking abilities so that I can hold a conversation with my grandmother - Yes!
3. Get more involved and make a positive impact in the gay community by doing gay rights advocacy work - No, this was one of the goals that I wish I wanted to do, but sadly just didn’t commit to.
4. Improve my singing abilities and sing a solo at a concert - Yes, sort of. At SFGMC’s Holiday Concert, I sang in a trio.
5. Do relief work in a developing country - No, another one of those timing things.
6. Fall in love and be in a committed, loving relationship - Sort of. Definitely was heartbroken.
7. Strengthen myself spiritually, mentally, and physically by practicing yoga more deeply and seriously - Yes! I practiced almost 3 times a week

Out of my eight goals, I accomplished about six of them. Again, I realized this year that I did not focus so much on the actual goals, but the journey that I took. And what a journey it has been. Any year where I spend more than 25% of it on a sabbatical, live 2 out of 12 months out of the country, and get my American citizenship after 19 years is automatically an awesome year… probably one of the best ever.

How exactly will 2010 be able to top 2009? I’ve got some ideas already in mind, and if all goes according to plan, then 2010 could be even more epic.

Farewell 2009, you have been amazing and full of surprises, and 2010, I welcome you and all of your challenges and promises with open arms!

New Years Goals 2009

I hope the world is ready for me in 2009. Seriously.

It’s going to be a year of change, hope and love, and I want to play a huge part of the collective awakening of the world. For the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year in conjunction with what’s on my plate personally and professionally. After four years of working at BUILD, I’m entitled to a three-month sabbatical (which is awesome in any profession, but a dream-come-true in the nonprofit sector!). I’m still solidifying what I want to do during that time off (and all of the logistics involved), and I’ve got lots of ideas already. And with this tremendous luxury to not have to worry about my work for 25% of the year, I have the capacity to focus my life in other directions and expand in other ways.

As I do every year during my reflection time, I started by re-examining my goals and values from last year and then brainstorming new goals that fit with my revised personal values. I’ve largely kept my personal values unchanged, except for a few semantics, and created eight challenging goals.

Personal Values

• Challenging Adventures - I live for new and challenging experiences, whether that’s professionally or personally, with others or in another country. The thrill of adventure stimulates my soul.
• Contribution to the World - I live to make lasting, positive impacts on society’s most pressing problems.
• Expressing Creativity - Being able to express myself artistically, musically or professionally keeps me inspired.
• Lifelong Learning - I love to learn. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence to mastery.
• Quality - I choose to live a full and quality life, which is neither excessive nor is it below my standards of excellence.
• Family & Friends - Above all, my life is about the people I choose to journey with. They are my heart.

New Years Goals 2009*

1. Spend more time with family members
2. Improve my Tagalog comprehension and speaking abilities so that I can hold a conversation with my grandmother
3. Get more involved and make a positive impact in the gay community by doing gay rights advocacy work
4. Improve my singing abilities and sing a solo at a concert
5. Do relief work in a developing country
6. Fall in love and be in a committed, loving relationship
7. Strengthen myself spiritually, mentally, and physically by practicing yoga more deeply and seriously

*I actually can’t display one of my goals because it contains sensitive information.

So there are my new goals for 2009. As a sneak preview for what’s ahead in 2009, it’s my grandmother’s (dad’s mom’s) 80th birthday, the first big family wedding is happening in Australia (I’ll be a groomsman for my cousin Michael), it’ll be my fifth year working at BUILD and third year with SFGMC, and I’ll probably be getting my American citizenship (FINALLY!) sometime in the first quarter.

I’m extremely excited about 2009, and if you’ve got goals for 2009, I’d love to hear about them!

Happy New Year and Happy New World!

End of the Year Check-in 2008

I love the transition from one year to the other because it’s the best time for reflection. 2008 has been an amazing year, and part of me is sad to see it go. I recapped with Karla about some of the greatest things that happened in 2008:

• Applying for my citizenship!
• Getting my DAD, mom and brother to come to my SFGMC concert!!! Huge step.
• Becoming site director at BUILD.
• Rap directing with BFF Karla at USC and then the spiritual events at UNC Asheville with Zenia.
• Witnessing my first (and not last, damnit) gay wedding, along with 4 other regular ol’ straight weddings.
• Miami! And the liberation that ensued.
• Mmm… savoring my birthday bacon brownie cake surrounded with love…
• And so much more…

Here’s my annual update on New Years Goals from 2008

• Save enough money to have 3 months worth of emergency funds by June 2008 - Yes, with extra to boot during this economically challenging time period.
• Hold a full-length conversation in Spanish, in a Spanish-speaking country - Yes, sort of. I get a B for holding minor conversations with a few folks in Mexico.
• Be in a quality relationship for longer than 5 weeks, if the opportunity arises - Yes, sort of. Again, I get a B in this.
• Continue spending quality time with my family - Yes, but I could have done a better job.
• Invest in and build deeper friendships (with special emphasis with friends in the Bay area) - Yes! I think I built a really supportive network of new friends here in the Bay Area, and it seems to be getting stronger each day.
• Visit another country - Yes. I went to Cancun for Shanif’s wedding.
• Get more sleep - No. Big fail. Although, I sleep a lot when I’m not working… =P
• Do a handstand - Yes, sort of! With an assist!
• Get a new job at an organization that I am passionate about - Yes! Yes! Yes! This was my secret goal, which I didn’t want to post at the beginning of the year, but I did move into my new site director role at BUILD, which are both an organization and position that I am passionate about.

Out of the nine goals, I accomplished eight of them, which is a far cry from my eleven out of twenty last year. It really helped to focus my goals and really send out my intentions to achieve them.

Again, 2008 was truly a blessed year, and I cannot wait for the challenges and gifts in store in 2009.

Sushi, Priorities, and Rituals

My Wednesday night sushi ritual has been hindered by one of my 2008 New Years Goals (the one where I want to save up 3-months’ worth of emergency funds). I’ve instituted an $80 per week allowance for myself to pay for groceries, lunches, dinners, parking, books, laundry, clothing, alcohol, entertainment, home supplies, et al. “$80 a week?!? Are you serious?” Is pretty much the response I get when I tell people about it. But I realized that I’ve been able to live quite well while on the allowance (I started it a month ago. Check out this Lifehacker post if you are interested in how the heck I am able to do this).

It’s all about prioritization. If I really want to go to dinner with someone on Friday night, I will make sure that I don’t go to dinner on another night so that I save my money for that Friday night event. I noticed that I am drinking a lot less alcohol as well–formerly, I would easily spend $20/$30/$40 a weekend on drinks alone. Now I’ve instituted a $5/week alcohol allowance. Yea, that’s right. $5 a week. On alcohol. I can’t even buy a cocktail from the Top of the Mark with my weekly allotment, so I just have to be diligent and save it up from one weekend prior.

Thus, if I go to dinner/lunch with you or have a drink with you, that means I’m prioritizing that event and, more importantly, you. Feel special!

Fringe benefit: I didn’t realize that when I signed up to be on this fiscal-responsibility plan that I would end up cooking so much, but that’s what’s happened. Every weekend, I look at the week ahead, and plan a little culinary adventure for myself. Last week was a trip through Korea (I made pork bulgogi, nine-fillings pancakes, pickled cucumbers and daikon, and kimchi), and packed it for lunch for work all week. The week before, it was my aunt’s delicious Filipino spaghetti recipe. This weekend I made lugao, which is a Filipino version of a rice porridge with chicken (otherwise called congee in Chinese, pospas in Cebuano, or arroz caldo in Spanish). Yum. May this goal be the rebirth of my love for cooking? This is a good start.

Oh yes, back to the point. I used to go to No Name Sushi without fail once a week, mostly on Wednesdays, but sometimes on Saturday if I didn’t make it earlier. Now, I really have to prioritize, and sometimes No Name doesn’t make it on the priority list that week. I don’t know why, but it’s kind of pained me to not be able to go. For the last three years, it’s been my ritual. My thing. Hiroko’s been kind of a surrogate grandmother to me. When I enter through the broken door and sit in that crappily ventilated shack of a restaurant, it feels like I’m going home. Hiroko and I communicate with each other with a blend of familial gestures, her broken English, my broken Japanese. And it feels like what going home to your Japanese obaachan would be like.

I didn’t realize that I had such a strong bond with this ritual, but really in many ways it’s more than a ritual. So I guess looping back to why I wrote this post in the first place, if I go to dinner with you on a Wednesday night (or on any night for that matter)… man, you must be really freakin special. I mean, really. Really special.

(The first and third pics are from January and the second and fourth are from December).

New Years Goals 2008

I can’t believe almost a week of 2008 has transpired, and I am just now getting myself organized with these New Years Goals. Well, truth be told, I’ve been tinkering with this list for about 2 weeks now, and I just wanted to make sure that I fully thought them through. The trouble with being so goal-oriented is that sometimes I get too ambitious for my own good, as evidenced by last year’s list of New Years Goals.

So this time around, I’ve created a more focused list of goals, and I have also re-examined the personal values that I started last year. I took one away, and added another. It was an interesting exercise to remember that I created these values, and that means I can also re-create them or change them as I see fit. Because they are relatively new (only a year old), there’s still some massaging that needs to happen with them.

Personal Values

• Challenging Adventures - I live for new and challenging experiences, whether that’s professionally or personally, with others or in another country. The thrill of adventure stimulates my soul.
• Contribution to the World - I live to make lasting impacts on social change organizations and the community at large.
• Expressing Creativity - Being able to express my self through new ideas and innovation is what keeps me inspired, whether it’s artistically, musically or professionally.
• Lifelong Learning - I love to learn. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence to mastery.
• Quality - I choose to live a full and quality life, which is neither below my standards of excellence. nor is it excessive.
• Family & Friends - Above all, my life is about the people I choose to journey with. They are my heart.
  

New Years Goals 2008*

*I actually can’t display one of my goals until June or July because it contains sensitive information.

So there are my 2008 goals. I’ll be back intermittently with updates, and maybe some new goals to spruce things up. Even though there 8 pretty sizeable goals here, I feel like I’m still missing THE challenge… Either way, 2008… Bring it! I’m ready for you!

End of the Year Check-in 2007

The end of the year is always a time for reflecting on the year that has just gone by. Man, 2007 was a really busy and fast year. I had several successes with work at BUILD with it being my third year as the Incubator Manager, and I also had some huge successes with College Summit as I began my training as a Rap Director. I’m excited about continuing the training and the facilitating next summer.

This year has also been very transitional with close friends moving away, two different roommates coming in the mix, and realizing that I want more out of my professional trajectory and career right now (which is the reason why I applied to be a Rap Director to get more professional development). I began the year with some aggressive goals, some of which I accomplished while the others fell by the wayside–consequences of lack of prioritization and just plain busy-ness. So it should not be a surprise to see my long list of 2007 New Years goals with a smattering of “Yes, I accomplished this” and “No, better luck next year.” This self-reflective process will be a 3-step process. First I will evaluate the 2007 goals, then I will evaluate the personal values that I based the goals on to see whether or not they are truly my values (if you remember, I created these last year in an attempt to more clearly define my personal values), and third I will set new goals and values for 2008. Perhaps some of these unaccomplished goals will make it onto the 2008 list? Perhaps they won’t. Either way, I think 2008 is going to be a big year, and I’m ready for a challenge.

Adventure (new experiences, challenge, excitement)

* Do something outdoorsy at least once a month - I kinda lost track of this one, but I don’t think this actually happened according to plan. I know I was out of town for several weeks one month so it didn’t happen monthly.* Play one sport per month - and get good at one sport at least - This one I definitely did not prioritize

* Visit another country and be engrained into their culture - Yes, I visited Thailand with Mike and Tony, and got to hang out with Tony’s family for  a good chunk of our visit.

Artistic Expression (drama, painting, literature)

* Search for a musical outlet (other than karaoke) so I can sing more - perhaps join a singing group - Oh yes! Quite possibly the best thing I did this year was joining the SFGMC.

Contribution (desire to make a difference, to give)

* Hone my passion, find a worthwhile cause, and fight for it (other than college access because I do that through BUILD and College Summit) - Yes, Karla and I are working on a new social innovation.

Creativity (new ideas, innovation, experimenting)

* Finish Part 2 of my book, The Prediction - No, yet another year of unfinished work…

* Creatively write at least two times a month (every other week) - Well this goal was related to the one above it, and because this didn’t happen, the former didn’t happen.

* Plan & throw more parties with cooking - No, something about this year was a little bit less social?

Looks like Creativity was tough to prioritize this year.

Learning (growth, knowledge, understanding)

* Start a business, and then donate a majority of the profits to Troy Camp - No, but I did help for Pass the Can.

* Gain clarity on future life plans regarding career and personal - Yes, I’m going to be moving forward with an aggressive plan for next steps.

* Apply to be a Rap Director for College Summit - Yes, and I got in!

Quality (excellence, high standards, minimal errors)

* Spend more time with my family - Yes! This year was kind of a groundbreaking year for me and my family. Even though we did not get to spend Christmas together because my parents are in the Philippines, I flew down to Vegas a handful of times, my brother came up a few times, and my sister even flew up recently to spend time with me. 2007 was a great year for our family (in my honest opinion).

* Eat healthier - take out transfats from my diet, replace regular chocolate with dark chocolate - I would say Yes.

* Eat less salt - Definitely. I don’t even buy salt anymore.

* Reconcile finances on a set date monthly - make sure to keep on top of my finances - Ouch, this I have not been so good at.

* Reserve at least 2 hours a week to research and buy a condo - And this was a big No. As a person working in the social sector and wanting to live in the Bay Area, this is becoming increasingly more and more difficult!!!

Wisdom (desire to understand life, to exercise sound judgment)

* Find a new church that i want to go to every week - Not quite

* Grow up - upgrade myself to adult status - Yes

Work-related New Years Goals

* Be more explicit - talk about my process - Yes

* Think of my whole audience, not just one - Yes

Out of the 20 goals, I accomplished 11 of them. Even though they weren’t all the weight/size/gravity, it should be interesting to go through each of these values to see where and how I need to prioritize for next year.

Epiphanies are slow and gradual, not big bangs

Almost a year ago today, I thought of writing  a post with this title because I was driving to work with Karla and had an epiphany. It wasn’t a big huge crazy epiphany.

It was more like a puzzle all falling into place, and all of the pieces were gathered throughout time.

Anyway, the epiphany was that I wanted to teach at the university level. OK, so that unto itself is not a very concrete epiphany, but I like it the way it is. It’s flexible, and I am sure I can make it work.