Shaping future healthcare professionals and advocating for compassionate patient care were not always part of her plan. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a preschool teacher and even envisioned owning a school of her own. However, life had other plans. Marife Celebre Aczon-Armstrong, PhD, MSN, MSCP, CCM, RN-BC, now an Associate Professor at Chaminade University of Honolulu’s School of Nursing and Health Professions, found her calling in nursing after a chance encounter with a retired Peace Corps nurse. That moment of inspiration set her on a path toward a career dedicated to education, leadership, and global healthcare advocacy.
At the time, her parents were contending with various health issues, prompting Dr. Aczon-Armstrong to seek a profession that could empower her to advocate more effectively for their care. Little did she know that this choice would catapult her into advanced nursing practice, global health, and leadership roles, including service as a Fulbright Scholar. While she once envisioned owning a preschool, she now thrives in a broader educational sphere—impacting the lives of students, patients, and communities around the globe.
Pride in Filipino heritage: Shaping compassion, resilience, and service
A cornerstone of Dr. Aczon-Armstrong’s professional journey has been her Filipino heritage. “I am proud to be a Filipina,” she states. Her cultural roots infuse her professional ethos, guiding how she interacts with students, colleagues, and patients. Growing up in a Filipino household, she was steeped in generosity, humility, and communal support—the kind of environment where one quickly learns to anticipate the needs of family members, neighbors, and friends.
Dr. Aczon-Armstrong’s recollection of a patient labeled “non-compliant” underscores how cultural sensitivity and holistic care can transform clinical outcomes. In this scenario, a Japanese elderly gentleman appeared uncooperative with his insulin regimen. By digging deeper into his context—his wife’s fear of needles, his own deteriorating eyesight, and their busy daughter—she unraveled the root cause of the seeming non-compliance. Her solution involved engaging the family collaboratively, assigning specific roles to each member so that the patient’s blood sugar management became a shared commitment. The patient’s circumstances didn’t reflect stubbornness; instead, they highlighted practical issues easily overlooked without a culturally nuanced perspective. This sensitivity to family dynamics and her readiness to interpret the patient as if he were a family member embodies core Filipino values of empathy and bayanihan (community spirit).
In her classroom, this ethos translates to believing in each student’s unique strengths in the learning environment. She cites “Lahat tayo ay may pag-asa” (We all have hope) as a recurring mantra—an affirmation that everyone holds potential. As a nurse educator, she strives to instill in her students a commitment to lifelong learning and community engagement, whether through advanced degrees or the volunteer efforts of the Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA).
A Fulbright Scholar’s global impact: Uganda and beyond
One of the most defining aspects of Dr. Aczon-Armstrong’s career is her involvement with the Fulbright Program. “As a visiting professor and Fulbright Scholar, I have traveled to Uganda Christian University (UCU) in Uganda, Africa, every summer for the past 10 years,” she says. There, she has educated nearly a hundred Master of Nursing Science students, mentored nursing faculty, and immersed herself in the local culture. The similarities between Uganda and her native Philippines—from familial relationships to climate—eased her transition while reminding her that global health challenges transcend geographic boundaries.
This long-term engagement reflects academic collaboration and a more profound humanitarian commitment. Her passion for servant leadership emerges in how she merges service learning with formal education, guiding nursing students to see global health as more than a clinical endeavor. Under her leadership, she has also spearheaded medical missions in the Philippines and Uganda, shaping future professionals to embrace the principle that healthcare must be inclusive and adaptive. This perspective resonates with her creed: to utilize “the time and spaces presented to me at hand to incorporate my knowledge, skills, passion, and expertise to serve and advocate for vulnerable populations.”
Community leadership: AAPINA and radio outreach
Dr. Aczon-Armstrong’s impact extends well beyond academic circles. She is the Founding President of the Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association of Hawaii (AAPINA of Hawaii), the first state chapter of the national AAPINA. Later, upon relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada, she co-founded AAPINA of NV in 2018, harnessing the expertise of 10 local nursing professors. These organizations demonstrate her ability to unify professionals around a shared mission of advocacy, education, and cultural competence.
One of her signature initiatives is “Healthy Mondays,” a 30-minute radio program she hosts on PHLV Radio. Through weekly broadcasts, she provides health tips, interviews experts, and addresses issues affecting Asian Pacific Islanders and other ethnic minority communities. During a time when the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes evoked anxiety and uncertainty, Dr. Aczon-Armstrong and her guests emphasized unity and resilience. They produced a five-series podcast dissecting the root causes of racism and the strategies communities can implement to ensure their safety and well-being. This cross-platform outreach, with a monthly audience of hundreds of thousands, exemplifies how she repurposes various media outlets to amplify her message of health equity and cultural solidarity.
Overcoming the “glass ceiling” and embracing leadership
“The glass ceiling is real,” Dr. Aczon-Armstrong candidly observes, noting that the “invisible barrier” can be especially pronounced for women and minorities. She counters it by focusing on excellence, faith, and integrity, reminding herself and others that leadership is rooted in consistent acts of service rather than titles or positions. Anchoring herself in biblical teachings, she cites Ecclesiastes 3 and Colossians 3:23-24 to articulate her guiding principle: steadfastness in doing good is its reward, no matter the external obstacles.
Her experiences underscore that nurse leaders occasionally face professional opposition or personal attacks. Rather than succumbing to bitterness, she channels these challenges into a deeper purpose—to continually do right, to help others, and to remain steadfast in her mission of forging healthy communities.
Servant leadership: Passion, purpose, and perseverance
As an educator, Dr. Aczon-Armstrong champions what she calls the “3 P’s: passion, purpose, and perseverance.” For her, each element is vital:
- Passion sparks the desire to serve.
- Purpose channels that passion toward productive, meaningful goals.
- Perseverance propels nurses through adversity, ensuring they do not abandon their aspirations at the first sign of hardship.
Her journey reflects these 3 P’s. Having started with the simple dream of owning a preschool, she soared well beyond that horizon—earning a doctoral degree, becoming a Fulbright Scholar, and mentoring countless nurses in global health. She urges her students to remain open to divine or serendipitous guidance, acknowledging that sometimes the path we plan for ourselves is far narrower than the one life has in store.
Looking ahead: Empowerment through education and advocacy
As an Associate Professor at Chaminade University of Honolulu, Dr. Aczon-Armstrong continues to nurture future generations of nurse professionals. She is committed to ensuring they embody technical competence and cultural fluency. Her many roles—Fulbright Scholar, AAPINA co-founder, and radio host—demonstrate her multi-faceted approach to leadership. She harnesses formal academia, community organizations, mass media, and even personal faith to enrich public dialogue on healthcare, racial equity, and global solidarity.
Sustained by her Filipino heritage, Dr. Aczon-Armstrong uses empathy and adaptability as her cornerstones. She has consistently demonstrated that by merging scholarship, community engagement, and heartfelt caring, healthcare professionals can serve local communities and make significant global impacts. Her story resonates as a beacon for aspiring Filipino nurses—and anyone else determined to break barriers, practice servant leadership, and expand the boundaries of what is possible through unwavering commitment.
In the words of Dr. Aczon-Armstrong, “Our dreams are defined by our hearts; our dreams design our future; just follow your heart and do your best, and all the potentials within you are sure to be realized.” By blending a spirit of humility with bold initiatives in education, global health, and cultural advocacy, she has carved out a path that honors her Filipino roots and meets the urgent global need for compassionate, inclusive healthcare leaders.
