About Cyn's Life

(Originally written and shared by her family, during Cyn's Memorial Services)

Cynthia (Cindy) Eugenia Pesigan Rabuy was born on December 22, 1979 at Samuel Merritt Hospital in Oakland California. Her parents, Carlos and Aurora, had been living in the Bay Area since they emigrated from the Philippines. They had already been blessed with three daughters - Arlene, Marlo, and Carla, prior to Cindy’s birth; and in 1982, her younger sister, Veronica Joyce (V.J.) was born. Cindy was a beautiful baby, who grew into a lovely and radiant young woman. In addition to her large immediate family, she enjoyed spending time with her dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members. She spent her childhood in Fremont, California, having lived in the same house from kindergarten through college. She attended Ardenwood Elementary School, Walters Junior High School, John F. Kennedy High School and was completing her degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

While at Ardenwood and Walters, she was an excellent student, had many friends, and was an active participant in student government and school sports team. Her involvement continued and increased while in high school. She held a position in student government throughout her four years, culminating in her role as Senior Class President. She was Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook, earned eight Varsity letters while playing volleyball, basketball and badminton, and was an active member and officer in numerous campus clubs. She was a faithful Catholic and parishioner of Saint Anne’s Church in Union City, serving as an altar server and a catechism teacher. In 1998, she graduated from Kennedy with Honors.

After high school, she went on to attend UCLA, and was active in many facets of campus life. She served on the Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC) as the Financial Supports Commissioner, and spent two years on the Associated Students of UCLA Board of Directors, including one year as Chairperson. Through her active involvement with Samahang Pilipino, she worked as a peer counselor with the SPEAR Project, danced in the annual Pilipino Cultural Night, and co-coordinated the Pilipino Graduation Celebration. She was a UniCamp Counselor for four years - including one year in WALL, she volunteered as a tutor for Bruin Partners, was a member of the UCLA Chapter of the Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society, served as the assistant to the University of California Student Regent, and was an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Department of Education. One highlight of her UCLA career was spending the summer of 2001 studying abroad in England, and then traveling throughout Europe for two weeks after the program ended.

Throughout her years at UCLA, she resided off-campus, and had lived with her sister Marlo and her brother-in-law Andrew, for the past year. Spring 2003 was her final quarter at UCLA, and she would be graduating Cum Laude. She had already fulfilled the requirements for her English degree and was completing the last two courses for her Education and Public Policy minors. Upon gradation, she had planned to participate in the JET Program, teaching English in Japan for a year. She later planned to attend graduate school, most likely in Education. Her career would undoubtedly involve serving others, possibly becoming a professor or counselor.

Although Cindy held various titles and participated in numerous activities, it was not what she did that made her so extraordinary, but who she was that truly impressed and inspired others. She was a multi-talented “multi-tasker”, and in whatever she endeavored to do, she not only succeeded but excelled. She adored spending time with children of all ages, was an avid and skilled photographer, a talented athlete and enthusiastic sports fan; she was gifted in arts and crafts, baking and sewing; enjoyed movies, music, and watching TV; loved to dance and play board games, and so much more. She had a vibrant and charismatic personality, with a fun-loving and often silly sense of humor. She was the kind of person who noticed you sitting alone in the corner and took the time to say hello. She did everything with style and grace, and possessed that rare magic that made an impact on all those she knew, if for just a passing moment of for your whole life. She was one-of-a-kind, and simply brilliant - every positive word to describe someone could be applied to her. Cindy lived her life with love, having faith in others and in God, knowing that she was His precious child. In her own words, she had an “undying belief that God is on your side. He is with you, and in time, you will be with Him. Let go and let God.”