Inspire 2021 is a 5-year journey of St. Scholastica’s College High School Batch 1996. We began preparations for our Silver homecoming when we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our high school graduation in 2016. Reunions held in Manila, the East Coast and West Coast, and Europe in January-March 2016 kicked off the preparations for the 2021 Homecoming Day. At the Manila reunion in January 2016, the Interim Core Group presented the initial plans for social events to promote bonding across the batch, and fundraising activities to meet the estimated financial requirements for the 2021 event. That gathering also became an opportunity for our batchmates to share initial thoughts for our Silver Jubilee event, and express interest in participating in the preparations for our Homecoming.
We had a series of activities for fundraising, which helped bring us closer to each other: we had block movie screenings (Finding Dory in 2016, Justice League in 2017, and Avengers: End Game in 2018); an outreach event in December 2018; and sold merchandise such as the Little Blue Bag, aprons, note cards, and mosaic religious products (Our batch merch are found here.)
In early 2020, we had the Little Blue Plate Series of small get-togethers to encourage batchmates to reconnect over lunch and merienda. We also celebrated Women’s Day 2020 together, which turned out to be our last face-to-face big group gathering before the COVID-19 lockdown. These events were opportunities for reconnecting and bonding, as well as planning next steps for our Homecoming Day.
In September 2019, the Interim Core Group evolved into the SSC ‘96 Board, leading and coordinating various aspects of preparations for Homecoming Day. Our batchmates have shown their commitment and support to Inspire 2021 as well, through financial contributions, volunteering to lead and be part of committees for various aspects of Homecoming Day preparations, supporting our merchandise and promoting promoting them in their personal networks, and participating in the virtual meetings and rehearsals for the performances.
The global COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020 changed the direction of our Homecoming Day plans. In solidarity with our fellow Filipinos in need, we shifted the focus of our fundraising activities that year. We organized the Blue Heart Brigade to support the purchase of PPEs for Philippine General Hospital (PGH) frontliners, an initiative organized by The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) and the UP Medical Foundation, Inc.
We also invited people to sponsor care packages we have prepared for the St. Scho Manila Night Secondary School teachers and PGH medical frontliners under the Little Blue Love project.
For this year’s Homecoming Day, our batch has chosen our school, St. Scholastica’s College, as our sole beneficiary through the SOS – Support Our St. Scho project. This is our way to help ensure that the gift of the Benedictine education through St. Scho Manila is passed on to future generations.
Even the Homecoming Day arrangements were changed to adapt to the new normal that resulted from this pandemic. Traditionally the Homecoming Days were held in February, close to the feast of St. Scholastica, but this year’s event is moved to 11 July 2021, the feast of St. Benedict. Whereas pre-COVID-19 Homecoming celebrations were all done in the St. Scho Manila campus grounds, this year’s celebration will be a virtual event: the Holy Mass and the program with pre-recorded performances will be shown via Zoom and YouTube. This change in format allows for greater reach, with more alumnae and their loved ones outside of the country able to join online.
There are a few more weeks left before Inspire 2021. The Homecoming journey has not been easy to say the least, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, but a blessed one indeed. Our 5-year journey is reminiscent of our years in St. Scho, when we learned to collectively use our gifts toward good outcomes, with Ora et Labora as our inspiration. We are grateful that despite the limitations of current circumstances, we were able to find ways to support other Filipinos in need, to make time despite busy schedules to contribute to Homecoming preparations. This journey is truly a testament that we Scholasticans strive to be women of Kind Hearts, Fierce Minds, and Brave Spirits.