Sammy Basa ’25 traced his love for the ocean to a boat ride under a star canopy to Sibuyan Island. Basa recalled how the brisk wind cooled his face and how he and his mother dipped their feet into water that glowed with bioluminescence. “The bright flashes of blue and green were like stars in the sea, and we watched in wonder as they faded into the darkness,” said Basa. “While those flashes appeared as pure magic to my younger self, they signified something profound—a deep-seated bond between my family, our land, and the marvels of the natural world.”