Gigi Callaghan

Geraldine “Gigi” Bermudez Callaghan is a passionate artist whose love for the arts has led her to create, restore, and express in many ways—photography, painting, writing, textile, prop design, and dance for her organization, Parangal.

Born in Metro Manila, Philippines, Gigi is a proud first-generation Filipino American who moved to the U.S. years ago to build a career in the allied health field. Trained and skilled as a physical therapist, Geraldine brings a high level of maturity & experience stemming from her more than 25 years of experience in diverse roles as a professional and volunteer in a spectrum of community settings.

But creativity runs in her veins. Growing up in a family of artists, she inherited her mother Rosita’s love for dance, which first appeared as a precocious toddler who could never sit still that very much later blossomed as an adult taking dance lessons. That interest never faded, and in 2023, she found her way home to Parangal, where she continues to share her passion for artistic movement, culture, and community engagement.

Gigi is a strategic and effective leader in galvanizing human interest and movements for common-sense goals in her community. Her community engagement, involvement, advocacy, and passion has resulted in effective systems level change that till now benefits current and future public elementary school children in the state of Florida. In a previous life, she turned into a grassroots organizer rallying parents, advocating for a successful mandate of daily recess breaks for elementary school children. Through effective persuasion and collaboration with state politicians and school officials, her intentional efforts succeeded in creating a mandate and a state law that till now benefits current and future public elementary school children.

Always eager to learn and grow, Gigi is now pursuing a second college degree in Public Administration and English/Technical Communication at the University of Central Florida. And while she’s accomplished so much, she still has dreams waiting to be fulfilled—like stepping back into the world of theater and acting once again.

Through it all, she is grateful to share her life’s journey with her loving husband and their wonderful son, who both inspire her every single day.