History

               Not so long ago, Thomasian Nurses started to arrive in Chicago in the 1950's.  They came here on the "Exchange Visitors Program" visa, a 2-year work-study plan with a sponsoring training hospital.  These leading hospitals included Cook County, now called Stroger Hospital, Michael Reese, Mercy, Norwegian, St. Mary's, Edgewater Hospital, and others.  You could imagine how homesick these young, brave Thomasian nurses were.  Back then, there were no Filipino grocery stores nor restaurant except for a visit to Chinatown using public transportation.

​

               Eating in, instead of eating out was their mode of entertainment with numerous pot luck dinners.  They looked forward to these dinners and occasional summer picnics in Montrose Park.  Informal gatherings continued overtime, sharing each other's work experiences.  Early on, you could easily see UST nurses taking leadership roles not only in their hospital jobs but also in community and church roles.  It is not uncommon then that Thomasian nurses were enrolled in the graduate programs in prestigious universities like Loyola, De Paul, Northwestern, and University of Illinois.

​

               With over a decade of informal gatherings, the founding members started to formalize the association.  They laid the ground work with the formation of its Constitution and By-Laws.  Through the leadership of Ms. Corazon Villanueva, the founding president, this was brought to reality with the first Induction Ball held in November 1971.  The association was named UST Nurses Alumni Association of America, dropping off the "Alumni" in compliance with IRS rules in 1992 under the leadership of our then President Vickie Pacal Alegre.

​

               The annual calendar of events was expected by our members of approximately 350.  The Spiritual Day of retreat and recollection held before lent, Education Seminars held ad lib, summer picnic held the last Sunday of July and of course, the formal night, the Annual Ball held continuously every year, the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  We have several committees, like membership, spiritual, educational, ways and means, "sunshine" bereavement, and scholarship.  Over time, financial donations were sent to our College of Nursing for scholarship assistance to poor and bright students.

​

               Starting in 1992, USTNAA started vigorous fundraising under the leadership of Vickie Pacal Alegre, followed by Merly Famarin Perricone.  With the arrival of new UST nurses under the working visa, we saw the need to assisting them.  Through local press releases and word of mouth, we offered assistance to them, should exploitation become an issue.  Newly recruited working visa nurses from the Philippines became victims of false promises of pay and poor working conditions, unpaid overtime in nursing homes.  USTNAA was prepared to help its fellow graduates.

​

               As quoted in the USTNAA Newsletter, published by the University of Santo Tomas Nurses Association of America, Volume I, Premiere Issue, April 1995.... Esprit de corps.  The impetus that gave birth to the "USTNAA".  This was a vision that came to reality when 20 Thomasian nurse leaders from all over the United States held a caucus on February 10, 1995 at Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.  They were part of the conferees of the PNAA (Philippine Nurses Association of America) bi-annual convention.  Their meeting brought about the recognition of a national organization of UST nurses.  From the existing USTNAA which was founded in 1970 in Chicago, Illinois, the organization reaches out to the UST nurses to be, in a true sense, a "national" group.  Thus, we present to you the "UST NURSES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA".

​

               Since Illinois is stratigically located in the Midwest, in July 2009, a Central group of USTNAA was establised under the direction of the Illinois group past president, Vickie Alegre.  The main goal is to implement medical mission to underserved populations in the Philippines.  The province of La Union was the first area in the Philippines served by the medical mission under the auspices of the USTNAA-Illinois.

​

               The commitment of our membership to USTNAA is astounding and extremely loyal.  It serves as an anchor of growth in all aspects of our being - spiritual, academic, a longtime friendship and this we did for 40 years now.  The exemplary leadership and hard work of the officers, and loyalty of its members, we are committed to stick together.

​

                                                            Historian: Gloria Ramos Palisoc

                                                            Contributors:  Delia R. de Guzman, Jane M Macagba &
                                                                                            Karrel G. Bernardo