High School Ruby 1985: The Ruby Spark, 40 Years of Radiance and Resilience.
Editor’s Note:
There is a quiet brilliance that marks forty years of friendship and faith — one that gleams not from the spotlight, but from hearts that have learned to serve with joy. In her reflection, Leia Castañeda Anastacio captures the enduring grace of the Ruby Jubilarians of High School Class 1985 — women who live Serviam not in grand gestures, but in the simple rhythm of sisterhood, compassion, and shared laughter. And when the music begins, that quiet grace bursts into radiant life — proof that joy, once kindled, never truly fades.
The Rubies of 1985 have always lived their motto, Serviam, through joy and challenge alike. When Velada went online in 2020, they shone with grace from afar. Now, 40 years strong, they are back onstage — radiant in sisterhood, resilient in spirit, and ready to prove that their Ruby spark only glows brighter with time.
I almost didn’t make it to our Ruby Velada. The week before flying to Manila, I sprained the MCL on my good knee. Having failed for various reasons to dance for our Silver, Pearl, and Jade Veladas, I was loath to miss another one. The more Veladas pass, the more urgent it feels to take part in the next one. You can’t take for granted how your health will fare in the intervening years; you never know who will be able to make it. That everything falls into alignment as it ought – as it did for our Ruby Velada – is a great gift. But it is a gift that we all worked hard to earn – though certainly not without great joy.
Stepping into the rehearsal room for the first time, I was swept up in the excitement and filled with gratitude that so many of us were together again after decades. Fears over not being able to dance were dispelled by the generosity and encouragement of classmates
who patiently broke down steps to make them easier to pick up and demonstrated modifications for those of us who needed them.
As we reconnected with each other in between run-throughs, I realized that we had all faced all manner of challenges over the years, health-related or otherwise, but that we were singularly happy to be there and desired to contribute what we could to the success of our performance. So that one girl would not need to skip Sunday’s show to catch her flight home that same evening and make it back to Zurich in time for work on Monday, another arranged for her to be brought straight from MRH to NAIA right after our number. Cycling through exhaustion and exhilaration during that intense and rarefied week, one of us remarked, “We’re so tired that we want the Velada to be over, so we could rest. At the same time, we’re so happy to be together that we don’t want it to end just yet.”
In the crucible of crunch time, I was struck by the extent to which the selflessness undergirding our motto “Serviam” was on full display. So natural and intuitive, unconscious and reflexive had it become for us that it imbued our encounters with others, but especially among our sisterhood, with such cheerful kindness and open-hearted generosity. Still we couldn’t help but marvel and rejoice at how that same spirit burst forth in the energy and exuberance of our Velada dance, making of it the electrifying and jubilant celebration that it was.
From the stage to the story of everyday life, the Rubies of High School Class 1985 remind us that Serviam glows just as brightly beyond the dance floor. In this episode of ACx, their very own Sr. Maitel Roceles lets us in on the secret world of religious women — with warmth, humor, and truth.
Ever wondered what life is really like behind the convent walls? In this video, Sr. Maitel reacts to “10 myths about nuns” — demystifying, delighting, and showing that joy and service can shine even in the quietest corners of life.