It has been an honor for me, for the past three years, to be a member of the committee that selects the annual YWCA
Women of Distinction.
From nominations and supporting letters, I am amazed at the magnitude of achievements, professional and personal, of
several well-known and unknown women, whose work undisputedly affect their community or profession in a huge and
positive way. The nominees belong to different backgrounds and possess diverse assets, yet all of them have some
things markedly in common. "Trailblazer" is a term that describes most of them. They have charted paths for many women
(and men). They have broken barriers imposed by widely-held beliefs about a woman's place in society. They have set high
standards for themselves and have inspired others to do the same. They have faith and love in their hearts that allow them
to have that inexhaustible commitment to improving the lives of others and their community. These women reminded me of
the woman who had the most influence in my life.
My "woman of distinction" is my late mother, Felly. Orphaned at age 13, she took care of her two younger siblings while
working and studying at the same time. Brave and smart, she passed a teachers' board exam after faking her age, in the
hope of landing a teaching job even without a high school diploma. When the teachers' board found out and learned of her
circumstance, instead of penalizing her, they helped her get a scholarship in a teachers' college. My mom became an
elementary school teacher in Gatid, a remote barrio in the Philippines, where she became well known for bringing
Shakespeare's plays "live onstage,"writing the scripts in Tagalog, and directing the plays herself. She wanted the barrio
folk to appreciate literature. In the '50s, she was the only teacher in that barrio who prepared colorful visual aids rolled on a
TV-like cardboard box to catch kids' attention.
In 1963, she became a single mom with five children. Because we were poor, mom knew there was no way her children
can survive with her meager income of 210 pesos a month ($4). My mom left for the U.S. in 1968, with only $80 in her
pocket and one coat to cover her back. She thought that the victories of the Civil Rights Movement would be her passport to
economic opportunities. She landed in Chicago where she struggled to find a good job that would enable her to send
money to her children and siblings. Her career never got off the ground, however. She was a clerk until her retirement in the
'90s. But she succeeded in paving the way for her children to reach their individual dreams. She succeeded in instilling in
us the value of education and love of family. All of us earned college degrees, and in our own ways, we give back to our
communities where we live while we stay connected to our roots. My mom was our consummate teacher.
She is my choice for "woman of distinction." Who is yours?
Editor's corner
Over a cup of tea
|
Heidi M. Pascual*
Publisher & Editor, Asian Wisconzine
* 2006 Journalist of the Year, State of
Wisconsin (U.S.-SBA)