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Harvard elects Filipina as overseer
Acuña-Sunshine, ’92 cum laude, President of Sunshine Care Foundation for Neurological Care and Research, is the first Filipina to be included in the Board of Overseers. (Photo: Fort Worth Country Day/Website)
The Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) announced on May 31, Thursday during the Harvard University’s 367th Commencement exercises that it elected Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine, a Filipino-American as a new member of the university’s Board of Overseers, along with five others.
The board serves as the university’s second-highest governing body. According to the Harvard Gazette, its primary function is to encourage the institution to maintain the highest attainable standards as a place of learning. It will be responsible for advising the top administrators of Harvard.
Acuña-Sunshine, ’92 cum laude and President of Sunshine Care Foundation for Neurological Care and Research, is the first Filipina to be included in the Board of Overseers.
She took up government studies at Harvard College for her bachelor’s degree and earned her masters at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
In an interview with Rappler, Acuña-Sunshine said that the knowledge she gained from Harvard is for humanity.
“Harvard gave me this beautiful gift that had some people in it,” she said.
“I bring to Harvard the gift of creating community because I know that no matter how brilliant you are, life is meaningless when you are alone. It is so important to always find and be with people who inspire you, who make you want to be a better person, and who constantly yet lovingly challenge you to stretch and expand both mind and heart,” she added.
Apart from her, other elected members were Retired United States (US) Navy Vice Admiral Philip Hart Cullom, Md.; Boston Ballet Executive Director Meredith “Max” Hodges; Holland & Knight LLP Partner Marilyn Holifield; Intuit Inc. Executive Vice President Diego Rodriguez; and National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center Director Yvette Roubideaux.
Back in 2013, the university already featured Acuña-Sunshine for “reconnecting” with the university, as she chose to get involved with the community.
“I have mentored undergraduates and do interviews for the College. I have rediscovered old College friends and have made many new ones among alumni from various generations. Any kind of connection back to Harvard is life-enhancing,” she said then.
“It is not until you are further away from your time at Harvard that you really appreciate the fruits of your education and how it helped to develop your character. It is a gift that you’ve received. Nothing can take that away from you,” she added, as she engaged with the university after two decades.
