Rosaminda Moog Husmillo immigrated to the United States in 1989, arriving in Queens, New York where she worked as a nurse. Her next goal: to bring her family to this country as soon as possible.
To her husband Leo and three children waiting back in the Philippines, she was the family’s brave pioneer in the land of opportunity. In 1992, the Husmillo family joined her in the United States and called the Big Apple home until 1996, at which time they moved “onward to Johnson City,” according to son Augie.
“The catalyst for the move was my father’s job, and it proved to be the best decision we ever made as a family,” recalls Augie, one of the three boys. “The move introduced us to a more rural American life in the Appalachian Region. All three of us attended Science Hill High School and as a family we developed a great love and affinity for Johnson City.”
And also for East Tennessee State University, an institution which became an alma mater for all three Husmillo sons – Augie (B.S. 2002), Mark (B.S. 2006), and JR (BBA 2006).
As for Rosaminda, not only did she keep working but she continued to pursue higher learning. Augie remembers his mother finishing 12-hour days as an ICU nurse at Johnson City Medical Center, coming home to care for her family, and still finding time to study as she added more certifications to her list of credentials.
“She saw education as the only way she could move forward,” he said. “And because of the training she received, she saved lives every day.”
Rosaminda never attended ETSU, but as a preceptor on the ICU floors, she was on the front line in training nurses.
“Through the years she was a ‘mama’ to many of those who shadowed her," Augie said. "God called Rosaminda into heaven in December 2018 after a life of being a good and faithful servant."
Following her death, Augie and his wife Lauren looked for a way to honor her memory. “Mama valued education and saw it as a great equalizer. Because of the education she received, she built a wonderful legacy as a nurse – encouraging, inspiring, and changing lives. We want to assist other nursing students who will follow in her footsteps.”
The Husmillo family has established a scholarship in honor of Rosaminda that will assist nursing students who are in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need.
“This scholarship is a love letter to Mama,” he said.
Augie graduated from ETSU in 2002 with a B.S. degree in biology and a minor in English. He and Lauren currently live in Charlotte where he is a corporate funding manager with Truist Financial Corporation.
For more information about the Rosaminda Husmillo Scholarship, contact Anne Godfrey,
Director of Development, at godfreyaw@etsu.edu or to complete the scholarship application,
visit the ETSU College of Nursing Scholarship page.