Receiving My Wang Gungwu Prize and Rekindling My Career Dreams

Prof. Rey Ileto congratulating me after handing over my Wang Gungwu Medal and Prize for
Best Dissertation in the Social Sciences and Humanities, National University of Singapore

Last Sunday, I received an award.  Like a slap on the face it woke me up.  I've been so immersed in my family life that I've put my career plans on the back burner and my passion for all things academic slid from hot, to lukewarm, to cold in the last few months. I recently obtained my Doctorate in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore. It is a fact I am not conscious of most days when I am at home tending to my babies. But Sunday was quite a blessed day. I had a heartwarming afternoon tea with people who inspire me and I felt the dying embers of my career dreams being fanned back to life. I was reminded that while I am a mother, I am also many other things besides and I must nurture not just my children, but my own dreams as well.

It took me a long time to finish writing my dissertation.  Beautiful things happened to distract me: my engagement to Oliver; wedding planning; the actual wedding; pregnancy; childbirth; and child rearing. I kept trying to write my thesis in bits and pieces but couldn't quite bring everything together. Then, my mentor and thesis supervisor, renowned historian Prof. Rey Ileto intervened. He made me focus on my work, summoning me to Singapore in January, 2010 for a writing trip so I could be closely supervised. He made me sit and write, and he commented on and edited each section I completed, as I wrote the next section. It was intense. At first I found myself crying - separation from my baby Narra was difficult. But after a while, I became immersed in the world of my thesis and words began to flow and the bits and pieces I've written over the years were coming together.  I flew back to Manila fired up to write, but the moment I got home, caring for Narra distracted me from completing my task again. I flew to Singapore once more in late February, for another intensive writing trip. It was very clear to me what I wanted to say, and my mind was running faster than my fingers could type. I slept little for 10 days, to do the writing marathon of my life, with Prof. Rey coaching me straight to the finish line.  I submitted my thesis in early March and came home having accomplished my goal to submit all my requirements for my degree. I returned to Singapore for a successful thesis defense in July.  I was done!  Degree conferred!

I thought that was the happy end of my PhD story. But a year later, I received great news: my work received the Wang Gungwu Prize for Best Thesis in the Social Sciences and Humanities; the award came with a gold medal and a cash prize. This great news came at a crucial time when I needed it most: I was then pregnant and unemployed, and looking for inspiration. I was supposed to receive the award at the Commencement Exercises in Singapore in July 2011 - I already asked a Singapore-based friend, Basti, to buy my toga, and I was imagining myself marching up the stage in my doctoral garb, receiving my medal. I was a bit too pregnant for comfort though, and the trip for my graduation did not materialize. I gave birth a few weeks later, and was so busy with childbirth, recovery, and child rearing, that I was unable to arrange for the pick-up of my medal and check. Fortunately, Prof. Rey had a trip to Manila and he kindly agreed to deliver the "goodies".

Our small group having Shangri-la Makati's afternoon tea sets,

The day Prof. Rey arrived, my ever supportive mother and sister organized an intimate get-together to celebrate the occasion (Thanks Mom, thanks sis!) Since we were picking up Prof. Ileto at the airport at 1:30 pm, we decided on having afternoon tea right after. Our small group of 10 occupied a quiet corner of Shangri-la Makati's Lobby Lounge.  In attendance were people who played important roles in my thesis-writing journey.  They are also my sources of inspiration for getting my career back on track.

Standing: Oliver and Guijo, Walter Briones and Narra, me, Prof. Ileto, Rep. Tonchi Tinio, Art Hilado.
Seated: Dr. Trina Pineda Tinio, Sonia Serranilla Briones, and my sis Marion Briones.

Of course there's Prof. Rey Ileto my mentor whose investment in my training is as great as his hopes for my success. I feel the weight of expectation in his congratulatory handshake and I do not want to let him down. Then there's Dr. Trina Tinio, my contemporary at NUS who was also supervised by Prof. Ileto. She is my role model for balancing the professional and personal: she is now Senior Vice President at FEU, while being a super mom to Marko, and supportive congressman's wife to boot! Her husband Rep. Tonchi Tinio inspires Oliver and I to think beyond our own family's concerns, to always try to make a difference, to take an active role in trying to fix this country. And then there's Ninong Art Hilado, Oliver's travel buddy, and our principal sponsor at our wedding. Art is the consummate traveler, having been all over the world many times over! Name it, Zimbabwe, Vanuatu, Burkina Faso, even Antartica!...if it's worth seeing, he's probably been there.  Nowadays my children have become my world, and Art reminds me that the world is my home.  Art is also a true theater enthusiast, and has seen Moro-Moro plays. For this reason, he read my thesis! (the first person I know who voluntary read my long thesis for leisure - everyone else did so as part of their job description).

My ever-supportive parents (and lovely flowers from the Tinios).

And then there's my parents Walter and Sonia Briones. They are my role models for great parenting. They are encouraging without being pushy; supportive without being indulgent; principled without being rigid. They become proud and disappointed in healthy doses, just enough to keep my striving for excellence a most enjoyable and rewarding process.  And my sister Marion, with her graduate training in literature, history, and peace studies - she was someone to talk theory with! And her collection of books provided me with an instant library of relevant stuff I needed. She may not have pursued a doctorate, but I sometimes feel like I am walking in her footsteps, traveling down her "road not taken" whenever I am leafing through her books. 

Oliver with Guijo, me with Narra.

To round up the group that afternoon, there's our family of 4: Oliver, me, Narra and Guijo, my daily source of meaning. Oliver has been greatly supportive of my academic life, caring for our baby so I can go off on my writing trips; and moving from our house in Batangas (close to his work place) to our newly renovated house in Manila (close to my work place). He did this at great expense and effort so I could pursue my passion. I intend to repay his loving sacrifice by getting my career back on track.

Narra, my "mini-me"

Narra is like a sponge now, absorbing everything. She is also like the unblinking eye of a camera, she captures images and commits them to memory even if she has yet to learn the words for what she sees. I want her to witness more days like these, celebratory, triumphant!

Since that inspiring afternoon tea a week ago I've been hatching a plan in my head. I am envisioning my next career moves, and I am gaining more clarity on what I want to do next so I could best put my academic training to good use. I have to thank Wang Gungwu for allowing me the great honor of being a recipient of his award.  The NUS website describes the Wang Gungwu award as one given in recognition of research achievements of graduate students.  What would anyone donate such a huge sum of money to recognize new researchers? Why invest in them at all? Why was I given prize money for the work I did? I could only hazard an answer: because like newborn babies, young scholars need nurturance. Thank you Professor Wang. We've never met, but you play a pivotal role in my life. Your encouragement is giving me the confidence and inspiration I need to do more research and produce new knowledge. Your award has re-ignited my passion for scholarship and helped rekindle my career dreams.