A chapter like this does not happen without the people behind it, and there are many people at WVSU and in Iloilo who made this experience what it was.

To Sir Ricky M. Magno, Dean of the College of Education, and Ma'am Mary June D. Pineda, Director of the Integrated Laboratory School, thank you for the institutional welcome that made this whole program possible. To Ma'am Rose Felimon, who helped us with almost everything even before we had set foot in the Philippines, your work behind the scenes never went unnoticed. To Sir Ren Jr. Herrera, my supervisor, thank you for the guidance and for trusting me throughout the process.

To Sir Mike Tubal, Sir Sperv, Sir Ren, and Sir Glorial, the ones who took us to incredible places and treated us to more food than we probably deserved, those memories are ones I will carry for a long time. To Sir Erickson, my corresponding teacher, thank you for the support inside and outside the classroom.

To Ma'am Ann and Ma'am RC at the CTE, your warmth was felt from the very first day and it never faded. Ma'am Ann, a special mention for going out of your way to connect us with the Muslim community through her friend Brother Ilyas, making it possible for us to pray our Eid al-Adha prayer properly while away from home. That meant more than a simple thank you can cover. 

To Benny, Jhake, and Martin, who fetched us at the airport and took care of us in those first two uncertain days in a new country, you gave us the best possible start. To the SILAK office officials who opened their space for us countless times, including for our demo teaching preparation, that generosity mattered more than you know.

To Prince, Kenneth, and Mario, our student buddies and the people we spent the most time with throughout the program. Prince, a specific and sincere shoutout to you for showing up for me even on a busy day when my phone's LCD broke and I needed to get it fixed urgently. That is the kind of thing you remember.

To Nikki, Mitz, Nikki Marie, Mary Joy, John Gabriel, and Jan Carlo, thank you for the Guimaras and Manggahan trip that became one of the highlights of the entire exchange. And to Mitz and her family especially, the warmth and hospitality you showed us in your home is something that does not come standard anywhere. It was a gift.

To Angel GB, who brought so much energy and fun especially during the Garin Farm trip. To Athria and Ayessa, whose warmth was quiet but genuine and always felt.

To all the mathematics major students who helped me both inside and outside the classroom, and to every student and member of the WVSU community who was part of this experience in ways big and small that I cannot list one by one here.