Monday Mentor Series #4: My coach, my hero, my dad, Victor K. Tapalla
The spirit of mentorship should foster trust and a continuous access to a deep well of knowledge. While most have to go far and wide to look for one who can do these for them, I am glad that I get to wake up in a house and handle business at work with the person who can do these and more – one of my mentors, the coolest dad in my universe, Victor K. Tapalla.
Keeping it cool with a gelato while cruising in Monaco.
In the parents department, I was provided with a perfect 2 out of 2 as both my parents balance each other out. As a professional speaker and coach, my mom provides the Tondo, the Philippines' version of Harlem, energy in me - that gung ho and tough exterior. My father on the other end quiets and centers me as my all-in-one: cheerleader, therapist, motivator, and coach.
If by being a good mentor, one must let their mentees step up to the plate and claim the spotlight, my dad has truly let us all shine with his guiding presence prodding us in the background.
To be in my shoes and be his daughter is to have access to an old society kind of life. His mom is a simple Home Economics school teacher and a farmer father working as an executive at the National Food Authority. But don’t let this simplicity fool you. He comes from the Kalaw clan, one of the country’s old families.
His family is made of thorough bred academics who attended Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Yale and going to a Kalaw reunion is like going to a big classroom full of teachers and school owners. So just imagine the depth and breadth of the conversations those reunions can expose you to.
The world truly is his oyster. I thank my Dad for the love for travel that he inculcated in me at an early age. The best way to learn, he always says. And he's right!
My father is the quintessential example of a man who is innately cultured because of his exposure at an early age to great art, traveling, and good education. He knew at an early age what he had and who he is. He doesn’t have to be the loudest person in the room, his presence truly more than speaks for itself. He embodies substance over fluff.
In 2008, he was an Ulirang Ama Awardee in the Business & Industry sector. This award is given to ideal fathers who have contributed greatly in their respective fields and have accomplished much in their family life. It is an annual initiative organized by the National Mother's Day and Father's Day Foundation.
In the home front and in my every day life, I have my dad as the one person I can talk to about absolutely anything I can think of and rest assured that I will never be judged for any of it. Believe me, from politics to religion to films, my dad can take you up on any topic – that’s how wide the scope of his knowledge is. At work, although he lets me make my own decisions and supports all the innovations I bring in the school, still I make sure that I hear him out and know what he has to say.
Truly deserving of this honor!
You see, it takes a good man to raise a family but it requires an even greater one to raise a family of alpha professional speakers. I am lucky to have a dad that serves as the support system I can ever need.
Inside the ship is the exact replica of the Titanic's ballroom. And my traveler Dad more than happily obliged for a great photo souvenir!
And my wish for you this Monday is that you too will find a person who you can trust and learn from everyday just as I do from my dad.
Wickedly yours,
Val
