About Me
At Bayan Ceramics Studio, the "support system" is the wheel, the clean air, our nurturing team, and the positive energy of a neighbor. Whether in my corporate life or building this new sanctuary, I will continue to help people grow. At Bayan, I'm just doing it through the tactile, healing power of clay.
I hope you'll be part of it. Explore The Village Access to become a founding member, or reach out to learn more.
Mula sa maraming kamay, isang magandang bagay.
From many hands, one beautiful thing.
The Bayanihan Spirit
I was born in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. when I was four years old, wrapped in the love of my parents and four older brothers. Growing up, our home was built on Bayanihan, a Filipino value that celebrates community, compassion, and the power of collective care. Its most beloved image is of neighbors gathering to lift a family’s house onto their shoulders and carry it to new ground together. No one could do it along; everyone does it together.
For over 50 years, that spirit has guided me in everything I am: as a mother, a wife, an HR executive, and a creative soul. I have always been a deep believer in the universe and the power of intention; I believe that the positive forces we put out into the world are exactly what the universe returns to us. Whether I am nurturing my family or my craft, I move with the trust that when we care for the "Bayan" (community), the community, in turn, sustains us.
The Journey of Others
Long before I touched clay, my professional life was an exercise in this exchange of energy. For decades, I served as a leader in Global People Operations. I never saw my role as managing "resources"; I saw it as Human Advocacy.
My joy has always come from being an architect of other people's dreams, helping a new hire find their footing or guiding rising talent into leadership roles. I've learned that when you provide a safe and supportive environment, you create a space where people can finally manifest their best selves.
Finding My Center
In 2023, the universe asked me to redirect that advocacy toward myself. Battling a chronic condition for over a decade, I needed a new way to heal and reflect. I found it at the pottery wheel.
There is a profound energy in clay. It requires you to be fully present, to put your intention directly into your hands to find your Center ("Sentro"). Pottery became my lifeline, a rhythmic meditation that allowed me to reconnect with joy and express emotions that words couldn't reach. I realized then that the peace I was creating at the wheel was a force I needed to share.
Center, Create, Connect
What I found at the wheel became the three pillars of Bayan. Sentro (Center) is that still point, a place to quiet the noise and come back to yourself. Likha (Create) is the joy of bringing something into being with your own hands, whether it's your first wobbly cylinder or a lifelong body of work. Ugnayan (Connect) is the bond between people: shared tables, shared kilns, shared meals, and shared mistakes. You can read more about how these guide everything we do in our Studio Ethos.
The Bayan Vision
I have deep gratitude for the studios where I first found my craft and the beautiful souls I bonded with there. I believe the universe provides space for all of us to flourish, and I see Bayan Ceramics Studio not as competition, but as a complementary force to the incredible creative community in Oak Park and Chicago. My calling is simply to expand the circle, offering a new home where even more people can come together to create, connect, and find their center.
Oak Park has been my home for 25 years. I've served on our school board, led PTOs, and volunteered alongside neighbors who have become family. So when I decided in September 2025 to pour everything I learned about building global teams into this vision, there was no question where it would live. Bayan Ceramics Studio is taking shape at 222 Lake Street in downtown Oak Park, and we plan to open our doors in early 2027.