Season 3, Episode 5: The Promise Podcast: Janice Sapigao

Guest Introduction and Essential Campus Updates Welcome students, welcome. Promise and Pathway Scholars. Thanks for waiting. We had to get our we had to get our caffeine fixes in and say hi to each other. OK, well, welcome. If you're here live, this is the Promise Podcast, Season 3, episode 2 of the second-half of our season. And we have a very exciting guest who Kent and I have been wanting on for a long time. We are, we tell her we're we're genuinely big fans of her, not just as friends and colleagues, but for all the many talents that she has. So we have Janice. Is it Sapigao Monsoon? Am I saying it correctly? Speaker 2 Oh my gosh, that's so funny that you put that name on there. Yes. Oh yeah. But to the students, I just go by Janice and Pigao. Janice. Speaker 1 And Pigao, all right. Speaker 3 We've known Janice since 2014, 2015 Janice. Yeah, a long time, Yeah. Wow. We've been friends that long? Over 10 years. Speaker 1 We basically have grown up all together. Speaker 3 That's right. That's right. That's right. Speaker 2 And we all look the same. Speaker 3 We. Speaker 1 We never. Speaker 3 Change. That's amazing. Speaker 1 I hear that if anything we look better. Yes, agree. Speaker 3 Thank you. Thank you. Speaker 2 Yes, growing up is the best. I say that to students sometimes, like it's so great to grow up. Speaker 1 It is I, you know, it's this is a random fact about me. I've always, when I was young, I always have always wanted to be older than I was. To this day, I still always want to be older. Like I can't wait to be in my 40s. I can't wait. Probably won't be in my 50s. Yeah, I think so too. It's fun. Speaker 3 Me too. I've always wanted to look up to look my age, but I always look 10 years younger for some reason. So you both know my age, Janice. Speaker 2 Do I do rage I. Speaker 3 Actually, don't wait, wait, wait. Hold on. By the by the way, let me let me just say before, before anything else, I, I feel a little bit out of place today because both of you are poets, both of you are writers, both of you are creatives. And, and I'm not, but I am looking forward to asking Janice some questions that I, I'd like to hear Kim too you. Speaker 2 Know some of your? Speaker 3 Processing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah 'cause you're a creative too. You're a writer. Sorry, curveball. Speaker 1 I'm sure Janice would agree too when I say this to students and friends alike all the time. Everyone can be a creative and an artist. It's about tapping into it. Speaker 3 That's right. That's right. OK. Speaker 1 Well, let's get started. Per usual, we'll start with some Promise Scholars, Pathway Scholars updates, and then we'll dive into getting to know Janice a little more and talking about some fun topics, especially around the theme that this month is Women's History Month, a very special time for a lot of us. Kent, do you want to start off with updates? And I'll come back and forth with you. Speaker 3 OK, sure. First update is March 27th, but very important date deadline to complete Promise Pathway program requirements to receive your monthly incentive at the end of the month. So if you're missing a workshop, you're missing a counseling appointment. Make sure you schedule that with your counselor. If you're unsure, make sure you reach out to your counselor and ask find out what you're missing. Cool. But this definitely counts as APO, so you're good if you're missing one, yeah. Speaker 1 Yes, and there's many podcasts that you can listen to, not just this episode live. There's other ones if you want to check them out that can also count. March 27th, same date is the same deadline for the EOPS TRIO mid semester progress report that also counts as a promised engagement opportunity. So if you are in EOPS or TRIO, make sure to find that in your emails or ask your counselors or are a team for the link and we're happy to send it to you so you can get it in before the deadline. Speaker 3 Absolutely. Next update, March 29th to April 4th. That's our spring break. Go somewhere. Don't, don't, don't access Instagram. Just just go somewhere and just enjoy your time. Don't do any homeworks between March 29th, April 4. Enjoy your spring break. Speaker 1 As as the students might say, you should go touch grass. Can't. That's what they would say. Have you heard that term? Speaker 3 No. What is that? Speaker 1 Touch grass. Maybe someone in the in the live chat can can tell us what that means? Speaker 3 Let's touch grass. Type it in the chat box. Speaker 1 It means like get outside like you said, don't be on your screens. Speaker 3 That's right, correct. Speaker 1 Like be get connected to the world. That's what touch grass mean. Speaker 3 Be in touch with nature. Speaker 1 It means stuff. Speaker 3 Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Speaker 1 Yeah, April 7th is the Promise and Pathways priority registration for summer 2026, so please take advantage of that. The summer schedule is actually out and live, so if you are interested in taking summer classes, go ahead and look at web schedule. Check them out and make sure to connect with your counselors to make sure you're signing up for the right classes. And then the fall schedule is going to be live on March 29th. So on a few days here and then that registration for fall schedule will be our fall registration will be April 30th I believe. Speaker 3 Oh cool, April 10th, last day to petition for a degree. If you are graduating, if you're almost done, if this is your last semester and you you are eligible for a degree, make sure you petition. I know the process is a bit complicated and we counselors are not allowed to apply on your behalf now, unlike before. So if you you would know if you're eligible to for a degree, set up a meeting with your counselors. Your counselor can help you navigate the, the the it's not really complicated, but you, you, you have to press certain buttons on your web smart, but but yeah, make sure you understand the, the deadline April 10 apply for the degree petition meet with your counselor. Yep. Speaker 1 I see that we have a a flyer here. Do you mind going over Ken and while? Speaker 3 While you go over. Speaker 1 It I'm going to send it to the students who are here. Speaker 3 OK, thank you. Yeah, I, I just saw this on my e-mail and, and you know, so if, if you want to go on a, a field trip, you want to going over overnight long campus tour, it requires a lot of planning. So that's why I'm showing it to you now, because this is a multi day overnight stay in Socal paid for by the transfer center. It is space. Space is limited. It's it's going to happen on April 22nd to April 25th. So so that's three days and you're going to go to multiple campus, multiple UC Kapali, UC Santa Barbara and UCLA. So you know, if you want to go to this, start planning now. Talk to your parents, talk to whoever, but also register early because space is space are limited. All right, It's in the in the chat box. Awesome. Speaker 1 I think that's it for updates. Yeah, I can't. That's it. Speaker 3 Exciting. Speaker 2 Cool. From San Jose to Skyline: Janice's Evolving Identity Well, let's get into it with Janice. Janice, how are you? Where did you go to school? Janice? Speaking of campus tours. Speaker 2 Oh, campus tours. Well, OK, let's see. I'm from San Jose. So I went to San Jose High Academy, which is now called San Jose High School, and then from there I went straight to UC San Diego. And in between semesters, like during the summer portions of my time at UCSD, I would actually take classes at Deanza College to like get ahead and still be at home. So I think I spent like 2-2 summers at Deanza and then actually took classes there even after I graduated with my bachelors and ethnic studies from UCSD, and that helped me a lot after that. I think it's during that time where I realized I love writing, so I went to pursue my MFA in writing at Calarts in Valencia, CA. So and then ever since then I've been at Skyline. Speaker 1 That's awesome. So Janice, as you see from her very, I told her she's the, she wins as our guest with the longest title. And as you can see, there's a dot dot dot to it. So Janice, if you know her is and if you don't know her, is an English faculty at Skyline College. She's also the honors transfer program coordinator. She is also a former poet laureate. Laureate, laureate. I hope I'm saying it right, amongst many other things. So we wanted to start out, Janice, for you to tell us, amongst many other things, how do you see yourself today? Who is Janice? Speaker 2 Oh my gosh, yeah. How do I see myself? I mean, I think this is, like, very poetic of all of us to be talking and meeting again because I feel like I'm way different than maybe how we first met. And then I think for students who are here and listening, like, they're meeting me for the first time, but they're meeting, like a version of me that, like, is so different from who I was when I even started teaching. So yeah, who am I today? Today I am oh man, today I'm I'm happy. That's. Speaker 1 Good. Speaker 2 Today I'm actually like working off of the heels of a big event that just happened yesterday, the End Occupation Summit. I've been working with the Teach Palestine President Innovation Fund team to put together a Southwest Asian, North African SWANA learning community. So that's like a really cool thing that I've been working on here in Skyline. And then like outside of here, like, and maybe this is like some personal, but also like I don't mind sharing this, right? But like Kent and Kim, like I, I don't know, in the past few years, I have been divorced and remarried, hence the Monson part of my last name that I don't use here in Skyline. But yeah, I'm like, so happy. And yeah, maybe I'll talk more about that later, but yeah, I feel like I just feel so loved, you know? Like, I feel so loved in and out of here. And I think one thing that still makes me feel loved, but it's just a little different is that today I am like a motherless daughter. You know, my mom passed away in 2020 and I still think about her all the time. My dad passed away when I was 6 and his death anniversary was just last Wednesday, March 11th. So this in between time like who I am now like I'm definitely like thinking about both of my parents, you know, and what does it mean to be like parentless at as an adult, right? It's like, so different. So yeah, I always share that with my students, too, like on the first week of classes, just so that they know that I'm, like, a real person out into the world. So yeah, that's who I am today. That's what I can think of. Oh, I'm also like a big nerd for like, well, of course, poetry. But also in the summers when I'm not here at Skyline, I do research on Philippine American archives in the American Midwest. Like, who does that? But that's how I've been spending my summers for the past last three years in Chicago and Michigan and Indiana. And I hope that this summer I can go back to Chicago or Michigan or maybe even Minnesota. So yeah, we could talk more about that later. But basically I'm also like super into some of the research that I've been working on. So that's me. Re-examining Filipino American History Through Midwest Archives Way I have to I'm so I'm so curious what what have you been researching on in regards to Filipino American community? Speaker 2 Yeah. OK. So oh, gosh, there's no way to talk about this without talking about love, I suppose. OK, so my husband's family lives in Michigan. And I thought, like, oh, like, how can I visit Michigan more often? And one of the ways that I realized I could do that is by doing research. And I found out that the American Midwest is home to a lot of stolen objects from the Philippines. During the time of the Philippine American War and the Spanish American War, a lot of colonial governors who were installed by the United States government in the Philippines were university professors who are also archaeologists and anthropologists and zoologists and botanists who would take species specimen cultural objects, books from the Philippines and would bring them back to the United States to study and to put on display. And that's how that's also like the sort of sentiment that led up to like the the Saint Louis World's Fair in 19 O 4 where Filipinos were on display for I think it was like 9. No, I think it was a two year fair. And yeah, it just, it has led to a lot of like, I guess sort of like the creation of the American gays at Filipinos, like the way that they see us, the way they look at us, the way that they don't value us. And I have found that the remnants of their voyages to the Philippines exist in these university, library and community archives in the Midwest. So. Speaker 3 Have you been to these universities to see some of these artifacts? Wow. Speaker 2 Yes, yes, yeah. So the the mother lode of all of these collections is at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They have thousands of objects, and it rivals some of the ones in Chicago, where there is also a large Filipino community. But I learned so much, like a lot of these people in the Midwest, like whether they be from the military or even journalists and of course, university professors, like a lot of them spent a lot of time in the Philippines and like as a trophy of their time brought them back to the United States. And so that's the things I've been doing over the summers have been to kind of look at these collections and see like, what brings them all together? Why are they So why are these collections so desperate? And what does it tell us like about our history? Because I think a lot of Filipino American history has been taught from a very West Coast point of view. And I'm finding that maybe we're maybe we're telling the story all wrong, you know? Yeah, yeah. So this, this is an endeavour that's probably going to take me like 5 to 10 years, but, yeah, I'm like such a such a research archive nerd and it's brought me to a lot of really interesting and weird places. And I've earned these like, library fellowships at these universities and, like, it must mean I'm doing something right, you know? So yeah, the power of a question I think has really propelled me forward into doing research. And I think that has helped me with the honors program. Like I feel like if I'm going to teach students about the research process, then I should also be doing research myself. So yeah. Speaker 1 And I know you mentioned that you have your bachelor's in ethnic studies. So it's like, and even though your English faculty at Skyline, it's like you're still overlapping the two passions for yourself in this work, which is so amazing. Speaker 2 Did were you? Speaker 1 'Cause you said you, you studied ethnic studies in in undergrad. So have you always been pulled to wanting to learn more about your own history? What was that like? Like your own relationship to being Filipino, to being Panay? What has that been like for you from young age to now? Speaker 2 OK, Kim, what a great question. I always wanted to learn more about like Filipino identity. Like, I always wanted to learn more. But when I was growing up, like in the 90s and early 2000s, I'm thinking about how difficult it was to just, like access any books. Like, like we, I don't know, we're growing up during a time when like Amazon did not exist, you know, like we couldn't find anything that we needed to learn about ourselves. I also, since I'm from San Jose, my high school was maybe like 70% Mexican American and there were maybe like 5 Filipinos and all of us knew each other. We're all either friends or like our friends, siblings, you know, And I remember being in high school, we had to do sort of like a capstone research project and I wanted to study the Philippines, but no professor and no professor, sorry, no teacher would sign off on my project because nobody knew enough to advise me. And the only person who could, we had one Filipino teacher on campus, but he was a math teacher. And so he was like, I can't sign off on this because I don't know this subject matter. So then my advisor ended up being the director of our student activity center who took one cultural anthropology class in college, and he signed off on my project. But he was like an older white teacher, you know? But thankfully he signed off on it. Umm and I found maybe like 5 books, a mix of novels and like academic texts and it wasn't enough. So when I got to college and found ethnic studies, I was like, Oh yes, I'm diving all the way in. I'm learning everything I can. I remember I signed up for an 8:00 AM Monday, Wednesday, Friday Asian American history class just so I could get started because I was, so, I mean, this word is different now. But like when I say like, I was thirsty, like I was thirsty for just like the knowledge, I really wanted to learn. I really wanted to understand myself, you know, and I, I, oh, and I sat myself in the front. I saw myself, Ryan, the front 8:00 AM Monday, Wednesday, Friday, whether I was wearing pyjamas or if I was dressed up. I went to class because I really wanted to learn. And that is the only class that I can remember myself getting very excited for do. Speaker 1 You remember who the professor was. Speaker 2 Yes, I do. A professor was actually like a junior faculty who was this like young white man so I. Speaker 1 Was going to ask, I was going to ask, was it an Asian American professor who taught Asian American studies during that time? Speaker 2 It was not. It was not. And I thought his lectures were so inspiring, you know, and I think what already helped was that I was super interested in the topic, but that got me interested in learning more about like other communities and taking my other classes. That's what really got me excited about not, not just like history, but ethnic studies. And I also, there was something else I was going to say about that ethnic studies, history. Oh, what I really loved about my classes were the readings when I read the poems, when I read the short stories when. Teachers or professors would bring in personal narratives and memoirs. That's when I realized, like, oh, ethnic studies is also like the practice of how you live your life, striving for equality and justice. And, you know, like, how do we treat each other? How can we truly treat each other? So I thought, Oh, yeah, our stories are like the proof of the fact that we were here, like, in this life and trying to, like, do our best. So I think that's what really got me into, like, writing as the practice of ethnic studies. And so I think that's why I teach English now. How Education Became a Way to Care for Family Janice, I I can't help but can sense the your your passion and interest in understanding your history coming out. When did this start? Like, how did you develop this deep curiosity and interest to learn more about Filipino history and and the fight for for justice? Yeah. Speaker 2 Oh, I think a lot of this actually, I was just talking to a student about this. I was talking about, or I guess to answer the question, OK, so I mentioned earlier, like my dad passed away when I was 6, was really young, you know, and I always felt like like death is a form of injustice. Like you can never correct it, right? You can never get back the person that you lose. You can never get back the person you miss. And there is something very final about death and justice, you know? And so I think that instilled in me at a young age, like, the idea that life is so precious and that life is very short and that it should be, like, held with both hands, you know what I mean? Like, it should be so delicate and cared for. And that means, like, not just my own, but like, everyone around me. So I noticed, like, when I was younger, in the absence of my father, that like me, my mom and my brother, we just had each other, you know? And then I remember we had to move into a house with my cousin and his family, likely because, like, my mom probably could not afford to live in an apartment by herself, right? So there are the parts of reality that come in to shape my story. But I realized, like, those parts are just as important to acknowledge as like, what happened in the aftermath of my dad's passing, you know, like, I should also acknowledge, oh, yeah, my mom was a single mother for about 8 years. I should also acknowledge, like, we grew up in San Jose with other immigrants and immigrant families, you know, so I feel like losing my dad made me more observant. And that includes observing the way that my mom would come home from work every day, you know, like, was she tired? Was she happy? Could she make us food? You know, and how could I also help her, right? And I, I knew that one of the ways that I could help her was to do well in school, if I could do well in school and not give her any grief or trouble more than the grief and trouble that we already had at home, just like rebuilding a life together. Like I think that I think that's what really made me want to do well. Like I realized, like my mom would be happy if I did well in school. And that meant a lot to me. You know, that as a kid, like I didn't know how else to stayed at the time, but now I know now I know that like school also taught me to listen and to like be aware of my time and how I treat myself and others and what I allow. You know, school can also be problematic in so many ways, right? But I was like, OK, I'm going to do well in school because it's going to help my mom a lot, you know? And so I think I just grew up with, like, wanting to know more. And I grew up with wanting to know more about my dad. And like, my second book was all about that, like, who is my dad, you know? And then that like, curiosity has led me to like some of the work and writing that I'm doing now. So yeah, I don't know it just. Speaker 1 This is your second book. I can't. Goodness, it won't show. Speaker 2 It looks like you're showing us like a big redacted subway. Speaker 1 Which is funny because it's like a solid to a shadow, and it's like a solid and somewhat of a shadow. Speaker 2 Amazing. Oh, and you have the like, first edition of the book too, like which is hard to get these days, but yeah. Oh, Cam, thank you. Of course. Speaker 1 Yes, so that was Genesis second, second book and then I also have your first, which we can link. I will link your books and the description for folks. Interesting. Wow, I'm just so fascinated by your story and also you're in such a gifted amazing storyteller too. So I get lost in your story, which then, you know, with us in the Promise podcast, this being a student support program, wondering you said that to do well in school was your way to care for your mom and to contribute to your family. Did you ever have conversations about going to college with your mom? Or was that kind of something to add to you wanting to contribute and get and make her happy? Is that something you felt internal? Speaker 2 Yeah, I always wanted to go to college because when I was little, OK, So now it all kind of like links back to when I was younger, but OK. Do you all remember like how you can order books through Scholastic? Yes. I don't know, Kent, do you remember Kim? So my mom set me up with a subscription to the Babysitters Club when I was little and you would get 4 books a month and until you finish the series. So it was maybe like a total of 100 books. And so I got started with the first four books and then I would just read them every single month. And then it got to a point where I would finish all four books in like one week. And my mom was like, hold on, like we can't keep buying all these books. She had to end my subscription eventually. So then she took me to the Public Library. And so that started my that continued my love for books and reading. And in the Babysitters Club books, there was a little sister series and the little sister's name, her name was Karen Brewer. She was the protagonist of these novels. And Karen Brewer always talked about how she had older brothers who were in college. So I always thought like, OK, that's that's the path, right? You go to school, middle school, high school and then college. Like to me, it was just automatic. And so because I had that ingrained in my memory, I was like, oh, I'm definitely going to college, you know? But by the time it was like, by the time I had to apply and shoes, I realized that like my mom, she had remarried my stepdad. They couldn't help me with anything. Like, they didn't know what to do. And I was in a program called GEAR UP in high school, gaining early awareness and readiness for undergraduate programs. I don't know why I remember that, but Gear UP was so helpful to me as a high school student. I'm still in touch with my counselor from that time, which is so funny. Yeah. Shout out to counselors. So the counselors I, I met in Europe, they were there for that reason, like to help first generation college students apply to college. And then when I got into different colleges, I noticed that, like, my mom was, like, really upset. And I didn't realize it was because it was bringing her closer to our inevitable departure. You know, she didn't say it like that at the time. She was just like, oh, OK. Like, kind of like, oh, you got into another college. You got into another one. And that was her being supportive. But she didn't know how to support me, you know. And I remember it came to a point where she was wanting me to go to UC Merced. I got into UC Merced. And if I had gone, I would have been part of the first graduating class of UC Merced. And I, I went to check on the campus with my mom and my Ninang, and we had a good time. But I was like, I really see myself somewhere where there's more people and maybe a city more populated. So that's how I decided in San Diego. But my mom was trying to get me to stay close to home. She was trying. She said, like, if I went to Merced, she would get me a car, which was important at the time. And I was like, oh, that's such a great deal. But then I was like, like, I had selected San Diego and yeah, I didn't get a car so because I picked UCSD. But yeah, I just remember like, yeah, that that journey was like always in my mind. But it wasn't easy. Like the reality of it wasn't easy, which I'm sure you all and students know. You know, there's a plan and then there's the reality. Practical Advice for Students and Skyline's Unique Community So I found them to be different. Speaker 1 Ken, I know it's your turn to ask. Speaker 3 Yeah, no, I was just reflecting on all the things that you said, Janice. I was thinking about my student. Do you have any advice for, for a student maybe who, who, who struggle with the reading, completing books, becoming an avid reader become who struggle with, you know, 'cause I know if, if, if we are students to continue to transfer, get a bachelor's degree, there's going to be a lot of reading involved. But you're it, it seems to me reading has always been part of your upbringing, your life. But do you have any advice for students? Speaker 2 Yeah, OK. It's not, it's not like how do I say it? It's not easy advice, I guess, because my advice is to keep reading and writing in order to improve with reading and writing. But I think that, yeah, I definitely come across students who struggle and let's see. OK, so in the classroom or like, as an educator, right? Like I create my classes so that we start with like, easy, medium, hard readings, right? Kind of like a video game. So we reached and that means like length like length, it's short and then a little longer and then we eventually like read books, right. So that's what I try to do in my classes, and I think that doing that will help. I also think that like if students recognize the ways that they already read so much, like, you know, students are growing up in a very visual culture with like Instagram and TikTok and all forms of media, Like they're reading those things, you know? And so if they could just apply those things to the unfamiliar, which is like readings that your professor selected for you, right? Like they have the skills, they have the capabilities. If it's just a matter, I think of like transferring, retooling, readapting, like it's the same skills. And so I try to like build on that in my classes. I also think that like just asking for help is going to be one of the biggest ways to improve reading and writing. Like I really do love our Learning Center here on campus. I really do love like when students come to office hours right to get help. I recently started requiring students to come to my office hours. I used to do it and then I stopped for a while and then I started doing it again and I realized like as I have learned to require office hours for myself or, or even going to other professors office hours, the engagement in my classroom has been really like really great. Like students are still in there. No one has really dropped my classes and they're doing really well. So yeah, I think it's important to just ask for help. And even just starting like a personal writing practice, I think it's really great. Like for a little while when I was going through like a lot of really, really difficult things, like my mom passed away, I was like finishing up 10 year track review. And then also like a little going through divorce. And just like a lot of different things and paperwork were keeping me from the page because I was like, I don't want to read or write when all the things I'm reading or writing or being reminded of are making me like really sad, you know? So what made me find my way back to it was just doing like the, the gratitude list of like 5 things. And I would just write down 5 things even if it was just 5 words. I was like, today was really bad, but I was so grateful for this, you know, I'm grateful for this person or this student or this food, you know what I mean? Like, just those few things that helped me, like, found my way back to myself, you know, because I think that the reading and writing is truly a mirror of, like, what we have around us and what we're interested in. And now, like, I feel so, again, thirsty for knowledge and reading that I have been reading and writing a lot lately, that I'm like, upset when something else gets in the way and prevents me from doing it now. So yeah, my advice is just like to find your own practice and like, find things you love to read, you know, like even if it's like a blog or Once Upon a time, Kim and I used to read the same sub stack, you know, but like, but we were reading it, you know, we were so excited about it. So just even little things like that I think could help. Speaker 3 What which sub stack? Speaker 2 Just another writer. Speaker 1 I missed that sub stack. Speaker 2 Me too. There was there was a post not too long ago. Speaker 1 I think you text me about it. Speaker 2 OK, Yeah. Speaker 1 I agree. I agree in terms of I think too, like you don't realize how much there is out there, even with the Internet now accessible to students, like to find something that you want to read. I know that's what gets me into reading, gets me exciting. It's like like right now for me with parenting, it's like, oh, I'm reading parenting because like that interests me to read. Like it doesn't always have to be these boring textbooks or classic literature. Like there's so much out there. There's so many writers out there to access. Speaker 2 Yeah, yeah, I think students are already doing it, but I think they just like, you know, they sell themselves short in a way, right? I know they're reading, I know they're creating, I know they're writing. And I also know it's another thing to bring that to school and tell the people who work with you there, you know? So, yeah, you know, I know they're doing it, yes. Speaker 1 You said gratitude list. I like that. It makes me think of the question for you of what is what is it that keeps you at Skyline as a professor? What is it that you enjoy about this campus? The students here and being an. Speaker 2 English professor. Oh, good question. I have worked at other colleges and I can say that there is something special about Skyline. There's something special. Like I really enjoy working with the students. I feel like there are colleagues here that I can be in step with, you know, like, I feel like it means a lot when you can like step into a room and not have to explain yourself so much and like why you do certain things. You can just feel accepted because you exist in a certain way, you know? So I really love that. I feel like there is an environment of like, like faculty and professional staff like caring about each other. And I think that is just so rare in a work environment. But what keeps me coming back is that I just, I mean, the students are so great. Yeah. I have had, you know, other work environments where sometimes, like, students were not open or were not accepting of some of my lesson plans or would file complaints. You know. Yeah, I feel like I've been through a lot. I've also experienced in the past, like, at another campus, like a student who filed a case against me for being. Oh, man, that makes me sad. The students said that I was being racist against him for being white. Yeah, Yeah. And I couldn't talk about at the time either because it was very, a very confidential process. But now it's been years and that process is over. But, you know, sometimes I just know that there is a world where IT work is not safe. And I don't feel like I have to question myself, my values, when I come here just to work and do my job, you know? So I really, really love that about Skyline. And then let's see, I just feel like there's such a great community here, you know, like people look out for each other. People, I don't know, people are always like checking in. People are, if we haven't seen each other in a long time, it's like, Oh my gosh, we haven't seen each other in a long time. But there's no bad blood in between, you know? So I just really like that. A Professor's Emotional Family Reunion Through a Student And I love like, oh, man, OK. I love Skyline for another reason. Can I share this with you all? It's pretty wild. It's pretty wild. OK, so OK, last semester I, you know, students apply to the honor transfer program as they typically do. They apply, I send them an acceptance letter and you know, students come to our orientation and typically start doing their research, right? However, I got an e-mail from a student last semester after I accepted them into the program and it said, hi Professor Supiga would love to come into your office hour and love to meet you. By the way, I think that we have some community in common. And I looked at the student's name, and I was like, like, I don't know what they're talking about, you know? But then I noticed that the student's middle name was my last name. And I was like, hold on, what's going on here? And so the student made an appointment, came into office hours. And then the moment that I saw him, I had this feeling that I've never had before, which is, Oh my God, he looks like my dad. And yeah, he came in, we talked about honors for maybe 10 minutes. You know, I answered all of his questions. And I, I just so I've known that my, my second book was about this, that my dad had another family before he had me and my brother and my mom. And I learned that I had an older sister who had a different last name, and that is the last name of the student. And so when the student came in, I asked him, like, after his questions, I was like, hey, like, I gotta ask you like, what? What is your mom's name? And the name that he said is the name of my sister. And so I was like, oh, my God, I think I am your auntie. And he said, I know you are. And we had a moment, you know, we just had a moment. Yeah. And, you know, for so long, I did not know that this young person existed. And now this student has been in three of my classes now, and we have a great relationship. And it's actually through the student that I got reconnected with my older sister, so. Things like that like consistently happened to me working at Skyline, like life changing moments. So yeah, I hope to be like a big or small part of that for, you know, students and colleagues who come through here. So yeah, I love Skyline. Just so much magic in the air here. Speaker 3 Oh no, we all do. Yes, yes, that's an amazing story. It's you got me all emotional. Speaker 2 Well, thank you. Speaker 3 It's true. Oh, I know it is. I mean, that's why it's so powerful. OK, Kim. Ask and speak, Kim. Speaker 1 He wants me. I know like you telling that story like so we started Kim and I also wanted to start this podcast because as you're showing, we wanted to give students insight and like this glimpse or the spotlight into staff, faculty, employees, the people that teach their classes, that are their counselors that make things run here. How human we are too. So just so you're sharing that story and also what keeps you here? It just kept making me think like this is what we wanted the to start this podcast for, like you said, to, to show that we are human and to show the the ways that we are impacted and the ways we're imperfect and the ways that we and the reasons why we're here to do this work as well. It's not just a job for us and we love the students, but also how it impacts us in our lives as well. Speaker 2 So. Speaker 1 Not a question, but more so just like a yeah, super like a reflection. I'll be sharing that story. What a wild story, that one. Speaker 2 Is so wild. I hope you all get to meet my nephew one day. I. Speaker 1 Would love that I'm. Speaker 3 A Look him up. Speaker 1 Is your nephew in our Promise Scholars Pathway Scholars program? Speaker 2 Oh, I know. Speaker 1 What a loss for us. Speaker 3 You know what I also love? I also love Skyline because of the community. We Janice is not yet. We haven't seen each other until a couple a few weeks ago in a long time. And I just decided to take a walk early in the morning right before 8:00. And then in comes Janice on her way to her office and she saw me and she's like, hey, what the hell? Hey, how good you want to speak to my students? You want to come to my class? I'm like, what? What do you want me to say? Like, I don't know, introduce yourself like that kind of kiddo feeling of hey, I, I want you come, come to my class, you know, speak, introduce yourself and, you know, give some counseling advice. Like what? OK, let me finish my walk. I'll be back. Speaker 2 You did great, yeah. Speaker 3 It's like this, this family feel that I, I I'm, I'm welcome everywhere I go. I feel that way. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, for sure. Thank you. Speaker 2 Yeah, I also, I wanted students like to just like know that they have support, you know, like when it's just me in the classroom, they're like, OK, bored, you know, But the minute you bring someone else in, the energy of the room changes. So I knew that even bringing you in for just 5 minutes would change. And then maybe later on, they'd get to connect with you in some way or if they saw you continuing your walks, like they would be able to say hi and just acknowledge you. You know, like I just any opportunity I can to like, try to set up like a connection, then like I'm going to try to do that, especially if it's like in the class, you know? Reflecting on the Inner Child and Forthcoming Creative Works Yeah, thanks. Speaker 3 Thank you. Speaker 1 I know we're running up on time and there's one big question. I want to end with her this time. And of course with you went by fast and I'm like, we have to have you again. There's so much more to talk about, but to end with our last official question as we wrap up, as you were talking about, I wanted to make sure to do our due diligence and read some of your readings. Grounded myself in your own stories. And you've already alluded to it. I know this about you, that you're really grounded in your identities and relationships with your father and your mom. And so I found this quote or this piece from one of your your articles or prose, and I'll share the quote now. It says in many ways, I still feel a little girl inside me, asking questions, seeking answers, dating, being shushed, working towards, understanding and critically remembering and writing in her diary. My little girl, she is safe with me. She is my anthology, my empowered sense of self, my father's daughter, my mother's interpreter, and a source of friendship. And then we can link that as well, that piece of writing in the description. We'll do that for students. So my question to you, Janice is what is, and you talked about it, that you changed a lot even from the time we've gotten to to meet you in 2014, we're all changing and you're different now. So what is your relationship with that little girl today and what type of questions is she asking today? Speaker 2 Aww, what a great question and thank you for the research, Kim. Let's see, I think that she would be so shocked. I think she would be shocked that like she made her like love of words turned into things like books and readings and poems and teaching more students and getting them to at least understand the power of a story, you know. And yeah, you know, I was just watching with another student this morning, the Ruby Ibarra Bakunala music video because a student is honor student is writing poems as part of her like, creative research project. And she started learning about like, Philippine mythology and brought up the Bakunala character, like a dragon serpent who like, eats the moon, you know? And she interpreted that as like the burdens that Filipino women carry and that we just like, hold on to, you know? And then I showed her the music video. And in that video, if you all have seen it, I'm just going to like, say it. But it's, yeah. Soil alert, you know? But she reveals that she's the Bakunala who swallows the moon and the moon becomes her baby and that she's pregnant. And it was like, quite a reveal, you know? And like, what a beautiful interpretation of, like, Philippine feminine power, you know? And so, yeah, I do. I do want to say too like the OK, so I, I want to like hold that. And I also want to hold this quote from a Filipino writer named Angela Garbage. She wrote this, she was written a couple of books on like the power of like Philippine. Well, the power of like mothering. Essentially she has two books, 1 is called Like a Mother and then and 2nd book is called Essential Labor And the first book like a Mother, she has this quote where she says something like women will always carry the DNA for the babies, they never have. And I never forgot that quote when I read it and heard her. I listened to an audio book also, so I heard her read it. And yeah, the reason why I bring that up is because like, yeah, I guess. And this is like in and outside the classroom. But like, you know, when we move through the different spaces we move through every single day, we are still whatever we carry, you know? And so I feel like when I wrote the article in 2017 about the little girl, I was thinking about myself as a little girl. So she would be absolutely proud of like who I am now. But now, like 9 years later, I think about that quote and I'm like, oh, like I kind of feel like the little girl is also like, like, I don't know, in short, the one I never had in short, like, that's how I wanna say it. And yeah, that. Yeah, just like growing up and like becoming a woman and learning about like the difficulties of what it means to have a family, you know? So I guess I just bring that up because, like, that's the little girl I think about right now. And yeah, I think about, yeah, that also is like maybe like another burden or sadness that I carry just like, yeah, kind of. Sometimes I wish, like, oh, I wish I was a mother these days of like, my own child. So hopefully that will be in the future. It wasn't in the past. And it's kind of weird to say that in a way that's like, oh, there was a past. You know, sometimes I think when people think about the past, they think about what they could have changed. But I also think the past is like the cemented things that happened that we cannot go back and change, you know? So yeah, I wish that. I wish and hope that the little girl can be maybe like, not fictional, not imagined, but can be a person in my life one day, yeah. Speaker 1 That for you too. Thank you. Speaker 3 When is the next book coming out? Speaker 2 Good question. I can I tell you, like things I'm working on, which maybe like feels like like a creative birth, I guess. You know, I'm definitely working on another poetry collection. It's definitely not done. And I get really extra with like things like even my slides in class, I get very extra with them, you know, like I'm teaching about theater and all the slides are of a theater, you know, like, anyway, so I feel that way about my poems. Like, I want them to, like, be polished before I send them out into the world. And then so I'm working on that. I'm also working on manuscript about the Philippine archives. So I haven't yet visited all of them. So I can't yet write about it. Yeah. And then I'm also editing an anthology of Filipino poetry, Filipino American poetry. There hasn't been a book, an anthology of Filipino American poetry since I think the early 2000s. And so I'm Co editing that with four other Filipino poets. And then I've been working with the University of Michigan to publish a book on how artists use the Philippine collections and archives at the University of Michigan Research Museum, Research Center Museum. And we got a grant for like $25,000 to put together this anthology. And yeah, I'm excited to work on that book with other faculty there and staff there. So that's all forthcoming. Speaker 3 That's amazing. So much energy, so much I don't know. That's non-stop. That's amazing. You're an inspiration to me, to us. Speaker 2 Thank you. Supplied by Phil's Coffee. Rapid-Fire Questions and Episode Conclusion OK, before, before we end, we always go through this the rapid fire question. This is part of our part of our podcast closing. We ask you a bunch of questions, really quick responses, One, one word or yeah. Ready. Speaker 2 Yes. Speaker 3 Should I go first? OK, I'll go first. San Jose or San Bruno? Speaker 2 San Jose. Speaker 1 Favorite Beyoncé era? Speaker 2 Diva. Speaker 3 Mantra before going into class if you have 10. Speaker 2 Don't throw up winter break or summer break, Summer break. Speaker 3 International travel or staycation? Speaker 2 Oh, neither is that weird. Neither. I kind of. Speaker 1 Travel. What's the other direction? Speaker 2 I travel within the United States, mostly domestically. Speaker 1 Go to comfort sack. Speaker 2 Chocolate chips, just just chocolate chips. Just. Speaker 1 Like a bag full. Now you're gonna get a bag full of chocolate chips from. Speaker 2 Oh well, really, if I could pick one it would be the dark dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's. Like or chocolate chip cookies. Speaker 3 OK, last but not the least I I don't know the difference so you might want to explain to me poetry or prose. Speaker 2 Poetry of. Speaker 1 Course. Speaker 2 I like to say in my classes like prose before Bros. Speaker 1 That's good mantra. Speaker 2 It gives me a good giggle and nobody else gets it until I explain what prose is. But prose is just writing in paragraph format, that's all. Thank you. Speaker 1 Well, that wraps up our episode. Janice, thank you so much for being here and students that are here live with us. Thank you for spending time and giving space to get to know one of your faculty members. PEO credit can you put? Speaker 3 That in the chat. Speaker 1 Kent And then we'll keep it in the description as well. Send love to Janice, anybody who would like to in the chat and then in the descriptions as well. And we hope to see you on campus, Janice. Speaker 2 Thank you. Speaker 3 We have a total of 9 participants, 9 students. Yay, are you? Speaker 2 Still with me? Speaker 1 Yes we are, but come back soon. We would love to have you again. This was so much fun. You're. Speaker 2 Talking to me or Yeah, OK. Speaker 1 Yeah, gets you. Speaker 2 OK, you do. Speaker 3 Invite me. Speaker 1 OK, I'm going to end now.