He took Chemistry as a Pre-Med. He wanted to be a doctor then. He graduated from Xavier School, where he studied under a scholarship from grade three to fourth year high school. In Ateneo, he also had a scholarship and was required to maintain a QPI of 3.20.

But when he graduated in 1981, his mother got very sick and there was no other choice but to give up the scholarship to a med school and apply for a job. He did not however apply to work in a laboratory like other chemists would. Instead he applied in CFC Corporation, a company that manufactures coffee, confectionaries, biscuits, cookies, chocolates, tetra drinks, and ice cream, for a position in marketing particularly in brand management. Out of the 100 applicants, he was one of the six that got accepted. In the next few years his position rose form brand assistant to plant administrative manager. In the third quarter of 1985, he transferred to Polychem Industries, a chemical company, as sales manager of their households chemical division. Lastly, he was employed by a plastic manufacturing firm, D.Y. Manufacturing, in 1988 as marketing manager.

One may think that how could he get into that job without any course in Marketing or Management when he has a degree in Chemistry. He just answered, "Teachings in Chemistry prepares you for almost everything outside." In many ways what you do in Chemistry is similar to what you do in marketing. The planning and the reports required in marketing are just like the planning of what steps you will need in an experiment and the writing of laboratory reports. An advantage of training in Chemistry is that you are able to grasp ideas easily and digest them well, may it be abstract or concrete.

According to Mr. Gocuay, "with a leap of blind faith and based on the strength, and disciplined training I received from our beloved chem department," in 1991, he decided to resign and start a business with a parter with P35,000 as capital. It was a company who manufactures plastics named Phil. Stylene & PVC Mfg Corp. By 2000, he and his partner started another company, Thermex Mfg. Corp. also on plastics. In 2002, he sold the company to his partner and this year, he started a new company, the GRP Polymer Corporation. It uses the latest technology in making plastic flat sheets and pressure molded packaging products.

One may say that the hard work all those years has paid off, for he now describes himself as a self made bum. He just bums around and he gets paid. He is still single, lives with his mom, and is actively involved in the Ateneo Alumni Scholars Association and W. J. Schmitt foundation where he is vice chairman.

Throughout our interview with Mr. Richard Gocuay, he has given us some advice on how to succeed. "One is to not break your word of honor when it comes to money matters. In starting your own business, take total risk, but make sure you have fewer luggages, meaning it is better if one is still single because of this last advice: you should be born into it, work like hell, and marry into it."

"Why Chemistry? What do you think you're doing in this course?"

This is the question that greeted us when we met Richard Gocuay for an interview. It was a little odd from someone who graduated from BS Chemistry himself. Maybe because he does not work in a laboratory nor do anything related to Chemistry. In fact, he never did. So why did he take Chemistry?

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