Gemma Dalayoan was a high school teacher in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada in 1976. She finished B.Ed. and a master’s degree in English as a Second Language (ESL) at the University of Manitoba. She became a three-time president of the Manitoba Association of Filipino Teachers’ Inc. (MAFTI) of which she was one of the founders. She served as vice-principal of three schools in the Winnipeg School Division from 1994 to 2004. She has received several awards for her community work and is the author of four books. She lives in Winnipeg and is currently finishing a memoir.