Class Note from Rakesh Kumar, TMP 2003 • First seen on his LinkedIn page.
Sometimes, a simple act can open doors you didn’t even realize were still there.
During a recent trip to Manila, I felt a pull to reconnect with my roots at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), where I completed a Top Management Program back in 2003. The years had flown by, and I hadn’t given much thought to those days—until now.
On a whim, I fired off an email to the Dean’s Office, not expecting much. But to my surprise, Bernardino J. Jiao, Executive Managing Director of Alumni Relations, replied almost immediately. He didn’t just acknowledge my message; he rolled out the red carpet, arranging a meeting with the Dean and giving me a personal tour of the campus.
Walking through those familiar halls, I was flooded with memories. But what struck me most was how effortlessly Bernie and the team made me feel connected to AIM once again. The unexpected gesture of a new Alumni card—bridging my past with my present—was the cherry on top.
This experience was a powerful reminder: **Reaching out, even on a whim, can lead to surprising and meaningful connections.** You never know what doors might reopen with a single step.
