TACLOBAN CITY- A native of this city who is now based in Europe has been named as one of this year’s most influential Filipina women. Bernadette Mondejar Schlueter is to receive the prestigious award coinciding the 13th Filipina Leadership Global Summit to be held on August 21-24 at Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu City. The high-powered summit is organized by the Female Women’s Network (FWN), a non-profit organization based in California,USA. Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Loren Legarda are among the distinguished speakers in the three-day event. The highlight of the summit is the awarding of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in 2016 (Global FWN 100) on August 23 who count the 44-year old Schlueter as among the awardees.
The Filipina women who are to be recognized are those who made a difference through their leadership and influence at their respective fields and communities globally creating a change in the world of Filipinas in diaspora. Schlueter, 44, who is from Tacloban City, is the only one with Filipino ancestry from Eastern Visayas nominated to the prestigious award. At present she is based in Casteau, Belgium working as principal of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) American School at North Atlantic treaty organization (NATO) for two years now. Shape Elementary School is under the Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is one of the 181 schools in 14 districts located in 12 foreign countries, seven states, Guam and Puerto Rico.
SHAPE is the biggest of the 13 international schools in the NATO installation in Casteau, Belgium. There are 600 students enrolled in the school with the large percentage of Americans and the others are students from 28 NATO member countries and 22 partnerships for peace nations. Schlueter, who is an educator, also served as assistant principal at CDR William C. McCool Elementary/Middle School in Guam; worked as a teacher in Korea and Japan, and as the school administrator of JE Mondejar Computer College in Tacloban City. She was named as Korea District Teacher of the Year in 2012 and awardee of the Scroll of Appreciation from US Forces Korea General Walter Sharp in 2010. Schlueter was nominated under the Builders category by Leonor S. Vintervoll, founder of Philippine Women’s Organization Resource Center based in Oslo, Norway. Vintervoll was a Global FWN Awardee in 2015
Builders, according to the FWN website, have demonstrated exceptional business impact at a large workplace environment; displaying deep passion for a cause through collaborative initiatives or alliances with corporations or nonprofit organizations on behalf of her own organization; demonstrates high potential and skill with measurable result. (VICKY C.ARNAIZ)
