Nila's earliest inspiration to teach comes from her father, an elementary teacher. Watching him spend many long hours in his classroom, even on weekends, made her wonder what is in teaching that he loved so much? Later, she understood when his old students would return and talked how he influenced them to better their lives. Reflecting on their conversations, she realized some of her father's sayings served as her own guide to be an early childhood educator.

Nila traveled to the island of Cebu where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in mathematics. Upon graduation, she returned to her hometown and taught at her alma mater. The year-and-a-half spent teaching senior students became what Nila terms her experimental stage - testing different strategies in teaching and classroom management. Seeing success here proved to her that she could teach.

Her career path took a detour when, due to low registration at the school, teachers were dismissed. In Manila, she worked as a statistician in the National Census and Statistics Office. In Kaduna, Nigeria, she worked as a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of Kaduna Polytechnic. Seeking to further her education, she moved to the United States to pursue a graduate program in education. Nila was introduced to the early childhood field when a friend recruited her to teach at Chinatown Day Care Center.

Having worked as a Head Teacher in different classroom settings and organizations, Nila finally found her match in 2004 when she was appointed Head Teacher at the 1199 Future of America Learning Center. Here she feels she has a voice in designing the curriculum, and has the support necessary to further develop her skills as an educator. Within two years she completed a Master of Science in Education from Lehman College.

Nila feels blessed that her passion for the education of young children is fully supported by her husband Timothy and daughter, Erica. As a mentor, she enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge with the new teachers who join her school. In her free time, Nila enjoys discussing career, parenting and relationships with her daughter, and catching up on science-fiction and old movies with her husband. They travel regularly within the country and abroad.

"If I want to have a positive impact on the future, this is now and I need to do my best. Not only at a particular time of the day or a particular day of the week, but every day I am in contact with these children."

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