*Insert shortened professional title here*

While it is said to breed contempt, familiarity more often breeds fondness.

So, it’s one thing to know older professionals met as acquaintances or relatives. And it’s another to see friends your age each add that exam-earned designation to their full names.

Only before you’ve seen them at their student best and worse. Your concerns just ranged from exams and deadlines to tambays and presentations. And you’ve witnessed each other mature in looks and in life.

Here, then, is my congratulations to college mates turned licensed practitioners with this year’s board exams:

• Engr. Santini Dustin Gesmundo Perez, mechanical engineer;
• Engr. Mary Vermi Aizza Almazan Morales, and
• Engr. Edgar Calolo Amatong, chemical engineers.

(Obviously) not from their college, I knew Dustin, Aizza, and Edgar as fellow members and leaders in Every Nation Campus Ministries UP and at Victory Quezon City.

Circa 2005: Aizza's at the center in red. Edgar the guy in white behind her. Dustin, not in shot.

When I met them in my first year, all three were serving at Victory’s Friday youth service, then at the Katipunan center. Then Kuya Dustin played guitars, Ate Aizza served with the ushers, and Kuya Edgar manned the PowerPoint booth.