Among all the high school classes from my time at Pasig Catholic College (my alma mater for several years before college), there were two I enjoyed the most. Those two classes made me dream bigger, and they molded me into who I am today.
Basic Web Design
First, I really liked my Computer class in junior year. After becoming fascinated with wrestling fansites (specifically, there’s a fansite dedicated to my favorite wrestler, The Undertaker, that I’m really fond of), I found out we would learn about basic web design in class. That made me as excited as a kid in a candy store!
After learning basic HTML thanks to Mr. Quiogue, even though I didn’t know about design principles, I made sure my web project layouts were done well. They weren’t perfect because I used basic, unpleasant colors like #ff000 (the default hex code for red), but I made use of what I learned, like text formatting and image spacing. One web project that I’m most proud of is a mini fansite for a band I was getting really into at that time, the legendary grunge band Nirvana. (That’s when I learned Dave Grohl’s connection between Nirvana and Foo Fighters, two of my favorite bands. But honestly, I became a bigger fan of Dave and his bands a few years later.)
After enjoying making those web projects and getting glowing approvals from my teacher, Mr. Quiogue, I started dreaming:
I want to be a web designer.
During senior year, I had a hard time thinking of a college course, and my kuya suggested Multimedia Arts because web design and development are part of it. Plus, there are drawing classes, too, and I love to draw. I took a big risk at that point because I only took one entrance exam (from Benilde). Thankfully, I got in, and I learned more about advanced web design (plus illustration and graphic design) during my time there.
If it weren’t for Mr. Quiogue’s Computer class in junior year, the basic coding and designing I learned, and my kuya’s suggestion, I might have taken a much different path.
English
Second, because I like learning about the English language and literature (especially Greek mythology), and I love writing essays during English class, I thought of this dream, too:
I want to be a writer. Specifically, an essayist.
I remember having so many scattered thoughts whenever my teacher gave an essay topic, and then I made the most of the one-page essay template (and sometimes, the back of it). The more I wrote essays, the more I learned things like better pacing and grammar, thanks to my teachers’ guidance. And the more I wrote essays, the more I realized that I’m better at writing my thoughts than speaking them. (Which, for me, is both a good thing and a bad thing.)
My most memorable essay back then would have to be about children watching violent scenes on TV. My honest opinion is that parents should guide their children on what they’re watching, so I wrote it in a casual, polite, and reasonable tone, even if I’m really terrified of writing about it. Thankfully, when it comes to my message, I didn’t have a bad comment from my teacher, Ms. Radovan. (I had a few typos and a sentence suggestion, but that’s it.)
I also remember getting introduced to blogging a few months before graduating from high school, so that’s when I went wild on writing my thoughts. No page limits, no topic limits; just freedom of expression in my own space.
If it weren’t for all my English classes (especially Ms. Radovan’s), I might be a guy who is fully focused on art and design. I might never have fallen in love with writing quietly, and maybe I never started blogging at all.
Years After…
Years after high school and college, I worked as a web and graphic designer for several years, and, after a long, rough patch, I entered the family business as an administrative assistant. I still use my design skills for my company when we need them, whether for print materials or artcards for our social media accounts. I also want to get back into designing websites and graphics soon (on a part-time role, if possible).
As for becoming a writer/essayist, I never pursued a job like that, honestly speaking. Besides, I’m (still) more comfortable writing essays in my own space. Through blogging here and on my past blogs, somehow, I’ve been honoring my writing dream.
If it weren’t for those two classes I had at Pasig Catholic College, I might not have become a web/graphic designer and a guy who loves writing essays. Looking back then and looking at where I am now, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sometimes, just a few little sparks are enough to light up and inspire someone, and my first alma mater did just that to me.
Thank you, Pasig Catholic College, for making me dream bigger when I was younger.
Header image courtesy of 2y.kang.
Updated February 17, 2026.
Ian Pasicolan 