May Pagsinohin is the Executive Director of the Philippine Science Centrum, the only informal science learning center in the Philippines. She is also a participant in a Noyce Leadership Institute development program for which I am faculty.
A few weeks ago May’s center was inundated with ten feet of water in the first of four typhoons to hit her country in rapid succession. May was not present at the time but 250 school children were. Her staff bravely escorted the kids out of the building and onto buses before the flood arrived, but not in time for the staff themselves to escape. Several staff, wet, cold and hungry, were trapped in the building for 15 hours before rescue workers got to them. Fortunately, they all survived.
The center, built of concrete block, also survived, but was full of mud. The science exhibits were all destroyed. Since that day May has worked tirelessly to restore her center, support her staff, and return things as much to as possible to normal. And she lives up to her commitments.
May made it to our recent leadership program meeting in Texas, where she was hailed for her bravery by her fellow leaders. We all wish her the best as she returns home, with hopes that she continues to weather any future storms.
