It was winter of 2000, I was at Davis, my mom already terminally ill, and I was doing my best to graduate soon enough for her to see me walk the stage. At a Mga Kapatid event, I met a freshman - a confident and impressive man, roughly three years my younger, Daniel Sanchez Rubiaco.

Little did I know how intertwined our lives and work would become. At 21, Daniel, like me, lost a parent. Those months following were anything but easy: depression from the loss, stress from trying to finish school, being a leader in the Filipino American community. Daniel's strength to endure, indeed to excel, in what were difficult, often heartbreaking conditions was a testament ot his character. Daniel had the foresight to know that establishing Chi Rho Omicron, Inc. was in the community's best interest, and that people must support one another to pursue their history, culture, and dreams. I deeply share this goal. And for Daniel and I, it is now the focus of our work together.

Daniel has not just been my colleague; from May 11, 2000 until now, he is my brother. We have sat together for hours debating ideas - freely, openly, even combatively at times. I have learned of his deep pride in his family. We share an abiding respect for our now deceased parents - mine, a successful daughter of the Philippine homeland: his, a master farm worker and member of a fraternal order by the name of the Legionarios del Trabajo.

Daniel, 25, is a man of conviction, intelligence, and peace. I deeply respect him. I like speaking with him. And I know that long after we have exited our respective stages, we'll still be brothers.

Heroes, it's time to save the world.

On August, 3-5, 2007, in Sacramento, California, a gathering of 80 heroes and heroines shall take place to discuss ways to affect the world. The annual Filipino American Youth Leadership Conference (FAYLC) is here once again to empower and affirm the youth.

Even heroes need to lean on one another, and this is the place to do it. If you want to support FAYLC, please contact me, at (916) 224-8244 or by e-mail at bobby.g.roy@gmail.com. Every little bit of help, makes a huge difference. Remember, twenty percent of the little things make eighty percent of the difference.

I like to believe that I have an understanding of that concept. Performing cardiopulmonary respiration on my lola, being called as a potential bone marrow donor, and doing what I can to help my community, come naturally to someone who wants to help. By no means am I any more special than anyone else. Everyone has the potential to be great. They just have to be resilient enough to get through the hard times that come along to reach their greatness.

We may be ordinary people, but we have extraordinary abilities. We each have many people that believe in us. We just have to believe in ourselves.

Recently, I met a few heroic individuals. Authors and historians, people who I would hope to emulate. For example, I was able to dub an original 1971 interview of Philip Veracruz. I met Melissa Aroy, producer of Little Manila, a documentary on KVIE, and know five people on that documentary, including Jerry Paular, Anita Bautista, James Sobredo, Alex Fabros, and Dawn Mabalon. I met Evangeline Buell, a granddaughter of a buffalo soldier sent to fight against Filipinos in the Philippine-American War and Abe Ignacio, author of The Forbidden Book, about the media portrayal of Filipinos during the early part of the 20th century. I made a copy of an original poster regarding the International Hotel. I have had so many amazing encounters recently. I hope I can accomplish have as much as they have.