I stretched my hands towards the horizon knowing no matter what I did, I would never be able to touch it. I was a man with a simple devotion – to propagate extraordinary messages through a common language. Journalism. Writing. Communication.

Stepping inside my school, it was within my expectations that I would learn the laws of motion and the parts of the cell. Never to improve my passion full of imperfections, for I am no prodigy, and I knew better than to expect aid from a system catered to itself and itself alone.

My first encounter with Sir Mark Reniel Balolo was when he walked into a messy classroom of ours with a face held high and a confidence brooding enflamed whilst confronting the entire class whose classroom was filled to the brim with silent tension. I was immediately hooked (and terrified) but none of it indicated that he was going to be someone whom I would be looking forward to – until time proved me wrong.

His presence was one thing. His passion was another. I was told that in cross-cultural communication, it’s not about sending the right message, but rather, eliciting the right response and by God, he was exemplary at that. He has knowledge discernibly established as he utters it with absolute assertion. He possesses a cadence of soaring merit – a standout among the best. He walks the talk and never leaves a single intrusive question hanging. He never stays in one place as he captures your attention and holds it, engaging you in words written on a whiteboard as if they’re the greatest novel in existence. All these are contributions as to why his words either inspire or trigger. Moreover, his eye for skill and potential is impeccable and so are his chosen ways to handle them.

He’s meticulous in his ways – refusing to settle for less. He’s mindful of your case; are you moving forward or lagging? I was ecstatic once I found out such a persona had the same interests as me. It felt like it was time for the seeds of my skills long buried beneath the soil of unproductive environments and sky-scraping expectations to finally begin sprouting. Yet, it wasn’t that straightforward. Despite fully knowing that my passion is a rough wall full of blemishes, I was sky-high thinking I was somehow already the best whilst being simultaneously insecure about my lack of experience. It’s conflicting and complicated but having someone just listen to you and know both your aptitudes and weaknesses is a reassuring sentiment for now I know that I finally have a certainty to believe in – a certainty that I’m on the right path.

But it doesn’t stop there; not at one student. While I was told that you don’t realize the impact of something if it hasn’t impacted you, I think looking around to see his effect on my fellow students is what made me more astonished. As someone whose vision had always been to influence for the greater good, I’m glad that even those who share different interests are now appreciative of writing and communication because of such a great educator. Seeing my classmates, most of whom are fellow friends, go out of their comfort zones and see them feel the waters in the fields I consider home fills me with indescribable fondness.

All these made me realize how incredibly wrong I was to assume that thriving in this harsh environment is impossible, but with that being said, you can’t just stretch your arms alone and expect them to reach the stars. You’re going to need help. A wonderful teacher taught me, albeit indirectly, that my flaws are not a hindrance between my hands and the distant horizon but rather keys to understanding who I am and what I value in what I do. That I have what it takes not because of some special talent but because I’m willing to do whatever it takes. By such a bare sentiment and deed, he has ignited what I thought was meant to stay fixed. Ladies and gentlemen, The Quantum’s adviser, Pasay City National Science’s very own English department teacher, Mr. Mark Reniel Balolo!