Aileen Garza Corbilla is full of quotes.
When it comes to living her life, she goes by an old proverb.
"When you do good, you're going to get good back," Corbilla says. "Do what to others what you want others to do to you. I know it's a little corny, but that's my motto. It's how I approach my life."
Corbilla has some more proverbial wisdom about setting and reaching goals:
"I take it day-by-day and one step at time until I reach the finish line," she says. "The important thing is to not lose focus on that goal."
Those might be clichés, but they work.
Serving others, goal setting, and taking it one step at a time have all played a role in Corbilla's achievements in life, including the recent Philippine Heritage Institute International's White House Millennium Council Award as an "Outstanding Filipino American Nurse."
Corbilla was among a handful of honorees at a recent tribute ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
"These individuals have given of their time, energy and resources to the promotion of Filipino culture and the enhancement of life in the U.S., and in our homeland, through humanitarian endeavors in health and education," according to Naomi Palma-Armada, the founder and executive director of the Philippine Heritage Institute, who bestowed the honors.
Corbilla says the award is much appreciated but unnecessary.
"Doing well is something that I do everyday," she says. "I don't really need an award. This is more like icing on the cake."
Indeed, everything Corbilla does serves a certain purpose.
These days her purpose is to teach. Corbilla left her position as a staff nurse at Kaiser Permanente five years ago to teach other nurses about medical devices. As a clinical resource manager for the Western Region at C.R. Bard Inc., a Murray Hill, N.J.-based medical product manufacturer, she helps other nurses better understand new technologies that can help patients.
"The way that I see it, when I teach them about our products I make an impact," Corbilla says. "Every time I convert a hospital [to new technologies] I also help the community — because the community are the patients."
Born in Manila, Philippines, Corbilla immigrated to the U.S. when she was 13.
According to her father, Robert Garza, his daughter was always an overachiever, and earned honors throughout elementary school in the Philippines. In the U.S., it was her dream to become a nurse. She graduated from Los Angeles Trade Technical College and later received a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix.
She worked at Kaiser Permanente before taking on duties as a travel nurse. When the "travel bug" was over, she came back to Los Angeles and worked as a hospice nurse case manager. Her father said that Corbilla worked with dying patients and found that helping them come to grips with their life was a "rewarding fulfillment." Then she moved on and accepted a position as Clinical Resource Manager (CRM) for the Western Region of the U.S. for CR Bard.
As a clinical resource manager, her responsibilities include training clinical managers under her supervision. Throughout the year, she educates clinical personnel and promotes safe and effective methods of using clinical supplies in hospitals through "evidence-based practices."
"Aileen is a dedicated and committed nursing professional who has had a successful record of bringing out most distinctively the objectives of her nursing career aimed at helping people throughout her professional life," says her father."She has done many different roles in her career and for each chosen field of specialty; Aileen found her most fulfillments when she was serving others."
Corbilla says that she feels her life is blessed, with a young daughter and her parents keep her grounded.
But that doesn't mean she's done with setting new goals for her career.
"It doesn't matter what career you have - it could be nursing, business or accounting or it could be a housekeeper," she says. "The important thing is to do your best in what you do. You have to give 100%. When you give it your all, you are serving others one way or the other. You are serving God."
Joseph Pimentel is a writer for Asian Journal.
Photo by Asian Journal
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