MIRIAM COLLEGE HONORS 13 ‘AMAZING ALUMNI’
On its 92nd anniversary, Miriam College, through the Maryknoll/Miriam College Alumni Association (MMCAA), named 13 new Amazing Alumni Awardees (also called Triple As) at the recent Grand Alumni Homecoming dubbed: GalingMC. The list adds to the school’s roster of esteemed graduates who have made a meaningful impact on their respective fields and the country.
Speaking on behalf of her fellow awardees, Dr. Norma Calderon-Panahon reminded the alumni in the audience to be grateful to the teachers that have molded them. “Yes, our love for Maryknoll/Miriam has remained undimmed through the years since it was established by the sisters in 1926. One message I would like to share with you: "Always be grateful to our teachers. When one becomes a teacher, he or she does not expect to be rich anymore. Teaching is a labor of love and is one of the noblest and most fulfilling professions. I thank all the Maryknoll sisters and our lay teachers.”
The awardees come from diverse industries that include environmental advocacy, medicine, education, and business. Like the school’s “Trailblazers in Habit”—theMaryknoll nuns from New York —these year’s set of awardees have blazed trails so that others around them—especially Filipinos--may benefit.
Dr. Norma CalderonPanahon (High School 1959)
Dr. Norma Calderon-Panahon, is a distinguished pioneer, trailblazer, and a pillar in her work as a psychiatrist, a clinical teacher and as an advocate for International Medical Graduates.
Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin, EdD (High School 1987)
Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin, EdD is a pioneer educator who founded the Multiple Intelligence (MI) International School in 1996. The MI adopts the framework of Harvard-based psychologist Dr. Howard Gardner to equip the Filipino child for the demands of the 21st century and enable them to use their intelligence to make a difference for the country and the world.
Aileen Ruiz-Zarate (High School ’93, Grade School 1989)
Aileen Ruiz-Zarate, for her work in helping reduce poverty, empowering women, and contributing to the fight against climate change and the protection of our environment.
The Amazing Alumni Awards was established by the Maryknoll Sisters and passed on to the Maryknoll-Miriam College Alumni Association (MMCAA) more than 75 years ago.