While education fuels man to strive even farther beyond and his objective inspiringly motivates him to aspire for higher goals, it is society and the community where he lives that keeps him constantly driven to achieve gratification which eventually defines the truest essence of his purpose in life.
The fundamental quintessence of success is self-fulfillment after constantly trying. A man’s success fails to stand on its merit when achieved through mere talent and lacking in purpose. And since everything on earth is ephemeral and fleeting, success is best valued when selflessly shared and appreciated.
What keeps man from having to consistently chase success after success is the accordance of a due recognition and appreciation for what he has contributed not only to his immediate family members but to a much broader number of populace who’ll benefit, directly or indirectly, from the achievement he has shared.
During the recently concluded Fiesta in America’s 7th People’s Ball held at Double Tree by Hilton (160 Frontage Road, Newark, New Jersey 07114), eight (8) distinguished Filipino-Americans were duly honored and distinctly conferred with the 2015 Empowerment Award for their unparalleled achievements in their respective fields of endeavor and consummate contributions to the community.
As living paradigms worth emulating, the following Fil-Am achievers were given well-deserved recognitions during the pompously highlighted event:
Alicia Sta. Maria Almendral, MD / Aesthetic Medicine
From a conservative upbringing sprung a modern-day epitome of a renaissance woman in the person of Dr. Almendral who, since her early school years, had consistently garnered top marks and breezily hurdled the rest of her educational background with academic excellence and honors of distinction. An embodiment of beauty with brains while innately gifted with disarming charm, the lady doctor isn’t just solely affirmed to her medical practice after having earned diplomas in Nursing, Medicine, and Aesthetics but glamorously sashayed as a beauty pageant titlist aside from effectively discharging her duties as a mom to her four kids.
Currently, Dr. Almendral is an active practicing physician specializing in Family Care while being one of the most sought-after aesthetic practitioners in the tri-state area. A convincingly effectual exponent and walking sample of what she does, Dr. Almendral personally operates her own thriving Almendral Aesthetic Clinic in the Bronx while expansion plans are already in the offing.
Arvin Amatorio, ESQ / Government Service
Like a steel tempered by flame, Atty. Arvin Amatorio was made strappingly firmer by his “baptism of fire” during his initial practice as the defense of the controversial case which involved 20 Filipino nurses sued by their employers. The mentally-draining-and-physically-exhausting encounter emboldened his stature that made similar tough cases seemingly light.
In 2007, he focused on immigration and has successfully after he joined the Law Firm of Prado and Tuy, LLP where he handled mostly personal injury cases. Just last year during the 2014 general elections, Arvin was elected as a councilman of Bergenfield, New Jersey and currently holds significant positions: as Chairman of Community Affairs and as a member of both the Finance and Police Committees.
Proud to have helped hundreds of young professionals achieve their American dream since his foray in the practice of law in the US in 2006, his family is Arvin’s top priority. He devotes his spare time to wife Ilya and son Lance while being passionate about all the things he does…especially in the defense of the weak and innocent.
Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D. / Academe
Esteban was appointed 20th president of Seton Hall University in January 2011, after serving as interim president for six months and provost since 2007. He has inspired the university’s more than 900 faculty members, 1,800 employees, and about 10,000 students to aspire for excellence while committed to the institution’s 158-year Catholic mission.
Just recently, Dr. Esteban, aside from being recognized as a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, he was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Men in Business in New Jersey and one of the 50 most powerful in Health Care in NJ. Distinctly knighted to the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Dr. Esteban was presented with a Certificate of Achievement by the Embassy of the Philippines while being an achiever of various academic titles: a Ph.D. in Administration from the University of California, a MS in Japanese Business Studies at Chaminade University, a specialized training Harvard University School of Education, and an MBA and a BS in Mathematics from the University of the Philippines.
Leila Benitez McCollum, Radio & Television / Lifetime Achievement
Philippine television history won’t be completely written without mentioning the name of Leila Benitez who, during local TV’s golden years, was considered the First Lady of the boob-tube with her name synonymous to popular noontime talent-oriented show Student Canteen and early afternoon variety show Darigold Jamboree together with equally television greats, Eddie Ilarde and Bobby Ledesma.
The former trendy entertainment host with unmatched regality still appears majestic despite her frail form and still as mentally keen as ever. Educated in Washington DC, she attended Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross and Marjorie Webster’s Finishing School and was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in the US in the Innovators and Thought Leaders category. Married for years to Donald McCollum, the couple has blissfully established residence at Central Park West in NYC.
Madelyn D. Yu, MSN, RN / Public Advocacy
A nurse leader and at the forefront of Nursing for 40 years, Madelyn acquired her diploma from the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital School of Nursing. A government scholar with leadership skills, her training at UP –PGH capably molded and equipped her with the knowlegeability on the field: as a Head Nurse of the ICU at the Phil. Heart Center in Asia, as a Nurse Manager of the Interventional Cardiac Unit, and the ICU at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Currently, Madelyn is a Nurse Manager of the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ.
A holder of a Master’s Degree in Nursing Administration from Seton Hall University and a recipient of the Sara Ericsson medal for Leadership, Madelyn has selflessly involved herself in promoting the welfare of Filipino nurses through her affiliation with the Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey (PNA-NJ) and the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) where she has served as Chairperson of the Legislative, Human Rights, Communications & Marketing Committees. Currently she serves as PNAA Regional Vice-President. Her past leadership experiences (as PIDCI Director, Director of the Federation of Philippine societies in New Jersey, Director of Bayanihan Club of Union, NJ, and as past president of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association, without a doubt, made her more than deserving of the recognition accorded her.
Teresita E. Damito, BSN, RN, RN-C / Community Service
Her more than 32 years of well-rounded clinical expertise and leadership in Maternal Child Nursing more than make Teresita E. Damito deserving to be in the Roster of Empowerment Awardees. A Far Eastern University Nursing graduate, she currently works as a fulltime obstetric nurse in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and as a per diem prenatal nurse in St. Peter’s Hospital.
Her unparalleled leadership in the governance of the nursing practice equates her boundless energy in volunteerism and community service in spearheading projects like Mission Dance to End Ebola Sierra Leone, Feeding America campaign for Food Pantries in NJ, and several worthy community outreach programs. A prominent member of the Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey, Teresita has effectually served as an Executive Board of Director for the Middlesex Subchapter in 2012-2014 and currently serves as its Secretary for 2014-2016.
Rodrigo Castillo, MD & Elma D. Castillo, MD / Pediatric Medicine
An accomplished tandem of Pediatric Medicine practitioners and illustrious philanthropists, Drs. Rod and Elma Castillo has relentlessly shown their innately compassionate concern and genuinely generous involvement in various Filipino-American community fundraising projects and socio-civic events. Aptly gifted with munificent hearts with keen business acumen their professionally-based husband and wife medical partnership easily solidified their family-owned Castillo & Castillo Medical Corporation.
Both Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Rod and Elma are also active members of Philippine Medical Society of New Jersey, Philippine Medical Association in America, Philippine Pediatric Society in America, and the national and NJ chapters of the Far Eastern University Alumni Medical Foundation, the duo provides medication and funds to medical missions in the Philippines while clandestinely supporting unprivileged Filipino students pursuing medical careers back home. Their being model parents was duly recognized by the National Parents of the Year Organization at the Manhattan Center in NYC.
Libertito Pelayo, Posthumous Award /Media & Publication
A well-known community leader and pioneer in media publication, Mr. Pelayo was the founding publisher and editor-in-chief of the 1972 Filipino-owned New York-based tabloid, the Filipino Reporter. An active journalist and former Manila Times reporter, Pelayo was once a correspondent in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. A long-time friend and avid supporter of Fiesta in America, Pelayo’s untimely demise left his journalistic legacy on the hands of his family.
In behalf of Special Edition Press and Fiesta in America, Nanding Mendez, President of the organization, has this to say: “I wish to extend my sincerest congratulations to all awardees and their families for their participation and the prestige they contributed to the success of the People’s Ball which was just exactly attuned to what we envision: recognizing the achievements of our kababayan that they may lead others and inspire the youths in creating a community of successful and worth-emulating Filipino-Americans this side of the eastern seaboard.”
To nominate potential awardees for next year’s Empowerment Awards, please email short bio to:[email protected] or call / send text message to: 212-682-6610.
