| Carmencita Quesada Fulgado, PhD From Life Challenges to Philanthropic Pursuits |
Dr Carmencita “Menchee” Quesada Fulgado was born, reared and
educated in the Philippines by a single mother, Poten, a high
school biology teacher, whose husband Eliseo, a history teacher,
was martyred in his own hometown of Paete, Laguna, during
WWII. The Poten and Eliseo Quesada Memorial National High
School now stands on her inherited land donated back to the
town for its first public high school.
Graduating cum laude in 1961at the University of the Philippines,
Menchee was among the limited few women accepted to UP
College of Medicine only to resign during the first semester for
family and financial reasons. However, determined to pursue
doctoral work in the US, she accepted a teaching assistantship
position at the University of California in Berkeley. Uncertain that
she could financially maintain herself with a student visa, she
decided to take a Master’s first, at the University of San
educated in the Philippines by a single mother, Poten, a high
school biology teacher, whose husband Eliseo, a history teacher,
was martyred in his own hometown of Paete, Laguna, during
WWII. The Poten and Eliseo Quesada Memorial National High
School now stands on her inherited land donated back to the
town for its first public high school.
Graduating cum laude in 1961at the University of the Philippines,
Menchee was among the limited few women accepted to UP
College of Medicine only to resign during the first semester for
family and financial reasons. However, determined to pursue
doctoral work in the US, she accepted a teaching assistantship
position at the University of California in Berkeley. Uncertain that
she could financially maintain herself with a student visa, she
decided to take a Master’s first, at the University of San
Francisco. Having completed the degree, she gave herself a graduation gift with a trip to New
York City.
Once in New York, she found her Master’s degree in counseling and working knowledge of
Spanish a great advantage in landing a good job as a counselor to newly arrived Hispanics. She
took residence in a dormitory run by nuns for Spanish workingwomen, a place that also helped
her practice the language. She attended the New York University three nights a week and the
other two nights took a part time job as a counselor in an orphanage to enable her to financially
afford the PhD program in Counselor Education. After a couple of years she became Director of
Training in the City University, a 10-week program she designed and taught to train non-
degreed government workers in human services in counseling, interview techniques, and
understanding human relations. It was fortuitous because this became her topic for her doctoral
dissertation, the “new careers” of paraprofessionals.
By no means was Menchee all work, all studies, and no play. Even with limited time for socials
she met in a party, Leonardo (Ding), UST MD’65 medical intern also from the Philippines who she
married on the condition that she would continue her doctoral studies. She graduated in 1972
and accepting her PhD diploma with one hand, carrying their first son with the other. From then
on it became a challenge to balance family and career. She is first to admit that her success is
because she has a “liberated” husband. She has had an encompassing and distinguished career
in higher education as professor, counselor, and administrator. She also became known for her
regular column in the local Filipino papers on education, careers and culture and as a frequent
speaker on such topics such as the strategies of balancing career and family, financing college
education, and career decision-making. A fighter for what is right, twice in her career she needed
to file to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for discrimination and twice she won
with herself as her own lawyer. She was honored to be a multi-awarded UP graduate as the
Philippine Bicentennial UPAA Homecoming Service Awardee ‘98, UPAAA Outstanding Alumna’89,
listed in the Who’s Who of American Women (1975-76), Notable American of the Bicentennial
Era, NY-Jaycees Distinguished Service Awardee ‘82 and Outstanding Young Educator ‘75 and NYU’
s Founders Day Award in 1972. She now looks forward to continuing her counseling the elderly
in Florida.
This Commissioner of the UP Centennial (2008) Commission just completed and presented in
Diliman her landmark book, Memoirs of UP Alumni Abroad, she edited and published, and with
$50,000 proceeds for two endowment funds, adding to other scholarships she has raised. With
a distinguished career in the academia, leadership in the community, and philanthropic pursuits,
she and her husband are celebrating their Ruby Anniversary having raised five children now
pursuing their own careers.
York City.
Once in New York, she found her Master’s degree in counseling and working knowledge of
Spanish a great advantage in landing a good job as a counselor to newly arrived Hispanics. She
took residence in a dormitory run by nuns for Spanish workingwomen, a place that also helped
her practice the language. She attended the New York University three nights a week and the
other two nights took a part time job as a counselor in an orphanage to enable her to financially
afford the PhD program in Counselor Education. After a couple of years she became Director of
Training in the City University, a 10-week program she designed and taught to train non-
degreed government workers in human services in counseling, interview techniques, and
understanding human relations. It was fortuitous because this became her topic for her doctoral
dissertation, the “new careers” of paraprofessionals.
By no means was Menchee all work, all studies, and no play. Even with limited time for socials
she met in a party, Leonardo (Ding), UST MD’65 medical intern also from the Philippines who she
married on the condition that she would continue her doctoral studies. She graduated in 1972
and accepting her PhD diploma with one hand, carrying their first son with the other. From then
on it became a challenge to balance family and career. She is first to admit that her success is
because she has a “liberated” husband. She has had an encompassing and distinguished career
in higher education as professor, counselor, and administrator. She also became known for her
regular column in the local Filipino papers on education, careers and culture and as a frequent
speaker on such topics such as the strategies of balancing career and family, financing college
education, and career decision-making. A fighter for what is right, twice in her career she needed
to file to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for discrimination and twice she won
with herself as her own lawyer. She was honored to be a multi-awarded UP graduate as the
Philippine Bicentennial UPAA Homecoming Service Awardee ‘98, UPAAA Outstanding Alumna’89,
listed in the Who’s Who of American Women (1975-76), Notable American of the Bicentennial
Era, NY-Jaycees Distinguished Service Awardee ‘82 and Outstanding Young Educator ‘75 and NYU’
s Founders Day Award in 1972. She now looks forward to continuing her counseling the elderly
in Florida.
This Commissioner of the UP Centennial (2008) Commission just completed and presented in
Diliman her landmark book, Memoirs of UP Alumni Abroad, she edited and published, and with
$50,000 proceeds for two endowment funds, adding to other scholarships she has raised. With
a distinguished career in the academia, leadership in the community, and philanthropic pursuits,
she and her husband are celebrating their Ruby Anniversary having raised five children now
pursuing their own careers.
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