Evelyn Ferguson

EVELYN BAGTAS-FERGUSON
Owner, EB Ferguson Realty, Inc.

Evelyn Bagtas Ferguson was born in Manila, Philippines on
Nov. 12, 1952. She is the 4th of six children of Remedios
Vergara and the late Jose Bagtas of Capas, Tarlac. She holds
a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Far Eastern University,
and was attending the University of Santo Tomas, working on
her Master’s Degree in Nursing when she received a job offer
in the United States. She migrated to the United States in
1978 and worked as a registered nurse in Cedartown,
Georgia where she met her husband Larry, a Senior Systems
Analyst. Married for 31 years, they have 2 sons, Michael- 29,
a graduate of International Culinary Arts from Le Gordon Bleu
in Pittsburgh and is also an Electronic Engineer, and Brian-22,
a graduate in Business Administration with a Major in
Accounting at East Carolina University.

He is presently enrolled in graduate school at East Carolina University pursuing his Master’s in
Accounting. They currently reside in Pfafftown, North Carolina since 1992.

Evelyn has been a Registered Nurse for the past 35 years. She has her CCRN Certification (Critical
Care Registered Nurse) and the majority of her nursing practice has been working in critical care
units like Coronary Care, Cardiothoracic, and Neuro Science. She was the Nursing Supervisor at a

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Evelyn Ferguson

S ister Luz

R ene Ricafort &
Family

B en, Maida and
Family

Ferguson Realty
Inc.

Henry Monterey
Balagtas and
Family

Filam Sangbayan

Community Hospital in
Cedartown, Georgia, overseeing
different departments like the
Emergency Room, Operating
Room and the Medical and
Surgical Units. She has done
Leadership and Management
positions throughout her Nursing
Career.

Evelyn is the first Filipino Realtor
in Cedartown and Rome, Georgia,
in Winston-Salem, and the
neighboring counties; she has
been a Broker for the last 19
years. She was affiliated with one
of the best Real Estate
Companies in the country and
was a Multi- Million Dollar
producer for several years. She
holds a certificate as an
Accredited Buyer Representative,
and finds pleasure in helping
buyers find their perfect home.
She especially enjoys working
with first time homebuyers. She
likes to think that she is
instrumental in finding her clients
perfect homes.

Having helped hundreds of
Filipinos find their homes, she
became the
Owner/Broker-In-Charge of
Ferguson Realty, Inc... Services
include listing, selling, and
property management of
Residential Real Estate.

Helping people comes natural to
Evelyn; whether it is helping her
patients get better, realizing

homeownership thru her Real Estate business and/or giving back to her community thru volunteer work and
some financial support. In spite of her busy schedule, she finds time for her fundraising activities. She believes
that the youth are our future and we should help them to always remember their roots and instill in them the
pride of being a Filipino.

It is often said, “An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Evelyn’s parents were both community leaders. Her late
father was a councilman, member of different charitable organizations, and a Grand Knight of the Knights of
Columbus. Having worked for the US Air Force at Camp O’Donnell, a subsidiary of Clark Air Base, served as
Administrator and Liaison between the local residents and the Air Force Base and helped many people acquire
jobs at the base. Her mother was the President of the Women’s League Health Center and the local chapter of
the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. Evelyn grew up witnessing the charitable works of her parents such as
distributing food and clothing to the less fortunate. Her older brother and sister are also community leaders in
New Jersey and were instrumental in Evelyn’s founding of the Fil-Am Sangbayan Inc. of Winston-Salem, a non-
profit organization whose purpose is to unite Filipinos in the TRIAD and together organize fundraising activities
to benefit the less fortunate in the community as well as abroad.

Having major back surgery did not stop Evelyn in doing what she wants to accomplish in life. She has maintained
2-3 jobs for as long as she can remember. Unfortunately, through these hard economic times Evelyn found
herself to be the primary provider for her family. She stays active in both her Nursing and Real Estate careers.

Evelyn is also the first Filipino to own a Filipino Restaurant in Winston-Salem and surrounding areas.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The agony of the poor diminishes the rich and the salvation of the poor
enlarges the rich. We are inevitably our Brother’s keepers because of our interrelated structure of reality.”
Furthermore to quote Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the
abundance of those who have too much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”

Evelyn has been a great example of what the above quotes were trying to convey as she believes, “The poor
teach us solidarity, brotherly love, and compassion for those who suffer. They teach us humility. Having little they
feel small, unimportant, dependent. We can learn from them to accept a difficult situation and hardships, to be
satisfied with few material goods, to make much of little. To take care for the poor is a duty, an honor, a favor, a
blessing. It belongs as a birthright to everyone.”

So far, Evelyn has been successful in shaping up her community. Her charitable organization has conducted
several medical missions in the Philippines. It has donated medicine and medical supplies to various hospitals.
Evelyn helped and supported newly arrived Nurses and their families. She introduced the Philippine culture,
customs, and traditions to the community, thus earning great respect for the Filipinos because of their
professionalism, dedication, work ethics, and their unity and love for one another.

Evelyn has also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity by helping and supporting the organization in the building
of homes for the less fortunate members in the community of Winston-Salem. Furthermore, fundraising activities
were conducted to give financial support to the typhoon victims and other related calamities in the Philippines as
well as the homeless through the help of the Gawad Kalinga Program. She has been a volunteer of the
Philippine American Medical Mission of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Inc.-Mission of Mercy.

She also provided support and managed a talent program in the Triad of North Carolina by forming a group of
teens to explore their talents in dancing. They now go to different places to compete in talent shows and they
have been invited as guest performers to several events.

“There’s a lot more to be done,” she says, just as John Wesley said “Do all the good you can, by all the means
you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can” and
Evelyn intends to do just that.

“No man is an island,” a phrase that Evelyn believes in. She would like to extend her most profound gratitude to
the people who inspires her, her parents and siblings. Including Mr. Henry Balagtas for his Noble works and the
members of Fil-Am Sangbayan.

Evelyn certainly owes a debt of gratitude to her family whose support, understanding, and flexibility allowed her
to accomplish all these undertakings. She would also want to thank Mr. Nonoy Mendoza for giving her this most
prestigious award. Evelyn was hesitant to accept the nomination because she felt she was not worthy of it.
However, people who know her would not agree, knowing how dedicated she is to her goals and visions.

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the poor people uplifted from their sufferings and truly make a
difference in their lives. After all,” she added, “caring for the less fortunate and the shaping of the lives of today’
s youth should not be an aftermath but a priority in our lives. God has purpose for everyone. HE has given us
the task of helping our neighbors who are less fortunate. GOD said, ‘WHATEVER YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF MY
BRETHREN YOU DO IT TO ME.’”

Evelyn says, “I strive to be a good model to others. With hard work, determination, and perseverance, you can
achieve your dream. Nothing is impossible when you try to build your own future.”