International Women's Day: Inspiring Women

I am a strong believer of lifting eachother up through inspiration, motivation and respect towards one another. Throughout the years I have come across so many beautiful human beings which enlighten me, inspire me and above all motivate me to be better.

Therefore I have decided to start introducing you to some more people who are making a difference and are definitely not short of inspiration. Since today it officially kicks in my last year as a thirty something, I wish to start introducing you to some more inspiring people as part of my 40 before 40 wishlist. I will try my best to introduce regularly individuas who I follow, look up too or even better who I collaborate with. Let me kick in my 40 before 40 wishlist with these remarkable professionals. Six women to celebrate Women's Day 2026. Remember to show them some love, follow their journey and above all take on board what you feel will benefit you in your personal or professional journey.

Ms. Debbie Atanasio

My first encounter with Ms. Debbie Atanasio was through family members way before I got to know her work, story and above all her exceptional contribution as a role-model for others through her active work and support. We used to chit-chat here and there or watch our boys integrate together through mutual family members, allowing them to build their own relationships. All this without me knowing how Ms. Atanasio was about to introduce me to courage, stamina and determination in the near future.

Ms. Debbie Atanasio is a Deputy Head of School, Family Therapist & Advocate for Perinatal Mental Health. She is also a mother, a remarkable one in my eyes, whose story is not just touching but a reassurance to others that they are not alone.

After learning about her journey, I followed Ms. Debbie Atanasio closer. Watched her discuss on different media and platforms, the importance of reaching out, support and how although it can be hard, you can always get up and look at the little wins around us. Of course I also follow how she travels and make meaningful experiences which remind me that life is more than what we know, hence we need to embrace it and challenge it differently. In Ms. Debbie's case her roadtrips are an EPIC example of this!

However, her story goes beyond the surface level. Ms. Debbie Atanasio's journey has been shaped by challenges, determination, and a deep desire to make a positive impact, following her experience with postpartum psychosis and a bipolar diagnosis. Through her work with the NGO Parent-Infant Mental Health Alliance (PIMHA), she leads a free online peer support group for mothers experiencing emotional and psychological challenges. This advocacy has given her a renewed sense of purpose, allowing her to support other mothers and raise awareness about the importance of maternal mental health.

Remarkable in ever sense, one which must not only be acknowledged here but shared and heard by everyone else. On International Women’s Day, Ms. Debbie Atanasio, hopes that her story reminds women that strength, healing, and hope are always possible. What a remarkable woman!

Paed Dr.Michaela Rumanková

I was lucky enough to meet Dr.Michaela a few years ago while I was giving a keynote speech in Slovakia during an eTwinning workshop organised by the eTwinning Slovakia team. While there I was able to connect and follow her love not only as an eTwinning ambassador, but more so as a devoted special education teacher for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

She is a Deputy Headteacher at Kindergarten Iľjušinova 1 in Bratislava and her work as a special education teacher spans over 25 years. Their kindergarten, educates neurotypical children in seven classes, while two specialised classes are dedicated to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Dr. Michaela works directly with children with ASD and strives every day to create an environment for every child to feel accepted, safe and respected. She strongly believes that inclusion can naturally begin in early childhood, hence she inspires children with special educational needs and neurotypical children to grow and learn together by offering meaningful activities, appropriate support, and understanding.

Her active involvement in international eTwinning projects helps her connect children with autism and children from mainstream classes by involing students with peers from various European countries. In her projects, she uses STEAM activities, sensory-based learning, digital technologies, and project-based education, which help children explore the world at their own pace and in their own way. She does not see inclusion as an additional obligation, but as a mindset and a natural

part of education, believing that when children learn empathy, cooperation, and respect from an early age, these values stay with them for life. Never short of motivation, she develops her own digital stimulating learning tasks which tailor to the specific needs of her children and uses tablets, interactive whiteboards, and robotic toys effectively.

More reasons to feel inspired, she is also an expert guarantor and consultant for the Visual Reading® programme, since 2016. This programme supports the development of speech and communication skills in children with special educational needs.

More so, since 2024, she has been actively involved as an expert working group at NIVAM (National Institute of Education and Youth), where her contribution assists in developing inclusive educational programmes and a methodological guide for pupils with autism (ASD), directly

influencing the quality of inclusion at a national level. Above all she is an eTwinning aambassador who trains and delivers free professional development courses, webinars, and podcasts for teachers across Slovakia.

Not inspired enough? Take a look at her recognised achievements and prestigious awards. Among the most significant, winning 1st place in the European eTwinning Prize 2024 (kindergarten category), 1st place in the National eTwinning Slovakia competition twice (2025, 2022), as well as 1st and 2nd place awards for collaborative projects (2024, 2023). Their inclusive eTwinning projects regularly receive National and European Quality Labels (NQL and EQL). In 2023, she was awarded 1st place in the nationwide “Examples of Good Practice” competition organised by the Ministry of Education and in 2025, sh received two Personality of Petržalka awards – in the category of Education and Support of Critical Thinking, as well as the Public Choice Award. In 2023, she was given special recognition by the Mayor of Bratislava–Petržalka for her active

contribution to local education, the use of digital technologies, inclusive education, and innovative eTwinning teaching. In 2017, she received the Mayor of Bratislava Award – Teacher of the Year for her exceptional contribution and dedicated pedagogical work with children with special

educational needs.

PaedDr. Michaela Rumanková is a full force of inspiration which deserves a mention on this blog for giving children a voice, agency and space to reach more than what textbooks hold.

Ms.Sara Caruana

If there is someone I truly admire in childcare, Ms. Sara Caruana is truly one of them. I follow closely how although she is an Early Years Educator, owner and centre Manager of Peekaboo Early Learning and Childcare Centre (Pieta') she is pretty much hands on and very involved with the children.

Ms. Sara Caruana originally graduating in Communications and European Studies and she began her professional journey in marketing, working within the pharmaceutical, hospitality, and finance industries. Similar and very relatable to my story, the birth of her son marked a profound turning point in her life, sparking a deep passion for early childhood education.

Twelve years later, Ms. Sara cannot imagine herself doing anything other than leading her nursery school, Peekaboo. Her journey in early years education has been one of continuous growth, creativity, and innovation. She is deeply inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, a philosophy she has grown to truly love and believe in. She feels that this gentle, respectful, and child-centered approach to early education aligns perfectly with her values and vision for learning. This love is truly transparent if you follow Ms. Sara and her team.

Believing that there is no such thing as lack of opportunities for Early childhood, the past two years, Ms.Sara and her dedicated team have placed a strong focus on sustainability. Thanks to their consistent efforts, Peekaboo forms part of the Eco-Schools programme and has won multiple awards, successfully completing various projects and securing funding throughout the years through Erasmus+. These opportunities have allowed the centre to grow, innovate, and strengthen its commitment to environmental responsibility. Inspiring others like myself to never underestimate will power, resilience and effective teamwork.

Professional development is at the heart of Peekaboo’s ethos. All staff members continuously undergo intensive training, both locally and abroad. Among the many enriching experiences, the entire team visited the Reggio Emilia Institute in Sweden to further deepen their understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach, and travelled to Finland to expand their knowledge and practices in sustainability in education.

Ms. Sara strongly believes that education is an ever-evolving journey. Together with her motivated and passionate team, she has built a positive community of like-minded families who appreciate Peekaboo’s innovative, forward-thinking, and values-driven approach to early years learning.

Her passion translates not just with the children in her care but as equally involved with her team. Her sense of teamwork is admirable and one of the many reasons why I wished to include her in this blog, in hopes to inspire other leaders, practitionersand parents like she already inspires me.

Ms. Rute Baptista

The first time I got to meet Ms. Rute Baptista I was very, very, very new to the eTwinning community. I was somewhat scared and intimidated but equally excited to learn new things about eTwinning. Sitting at the same table and meeting Ms. Baptista while in Malta, made me feel inspired by her positivity and constant support with her encouraging words.

Ms. Rute Baptista is a Pedagogue and currently acts as the Professional Development Manager, in Brussels, in eTwinning project, from European Commission. She works closely with hundreds of thousands of teachers from 46 countries, supporting, coordinating and managing online and face to face Professional development opportunities. Ms. Rute also works as a pedagogical consultant and project manager for STEM projects, to a consortium of Ministries of Education, European Schoolnet, based in Brussels.

Back in 2021 I was lucky enough to work closer with Ms. Rute and her team when I won runner up in the eTwinning prizes in 2021. The opportunities which Ms. Rute gave me and other professionals are beyond anyone's dreams. I never thought that starting an eTwinning project would lead this Kindergartener to endless networks, collaborative projects and huge opportunities.

For 8 years and until 2012 Ms. Rute Baptista has worked in the Portuguese Ministry of Education dealing with European Projects and ICT in Education having collaborated in several projects and initiatives on this topic, at national level. Ms. Rute is a Teacher Trainer and trains trainers in private companies in Portugal. She holds a degree in Pedagogy and is specialized in curricula development and project coordination.

For me Ms. Rute is someone who gave me a chance, believed in my capabilities and supported me throughout anything that I needed. I know she does the same for others hence why she is admired by so many who meet her especially in the eTwinning community.

Ms Sue Azzopardi

My first encounter with Ms. Azzopardi was when I was a part-time student doing my degree. She is a Senior Lecturer at The Institute for Education in Malta, and I remember attending one of her lectures with excitement because they were practical, hands on and made sense to my personal and professional journey. Nevertheless I remember one lecture in particular, in which we had to think of a scenario which could impact a behaviour before entering to school. This lecture is still imprinted in my core memory because it felt real and the way how Ms. Sue Azzopardi carried it forward with open mindset, respect and dignity, fascinated me more.

Some fun facts about Ms. Sue Azzopardi is that she is happily married and have two adult children who are settled in their own lives. She also adores her pets Xewka, the cat, and Dante, the Labrador. Ms. Sue Azzopardi loves spending time by the seaside, as well as taking early morning walks in the countryside. In my eyes, all the above result in her being a role model both professionally and personally. For me this symbolises how she balances prioritise between her professional and personal life too, something which I have been trying to achieve and therefore the latter keeps me grounded.

As a passionate educator, she started her career as a teacher and later transitioned into a leadership role. This experience deepened her understanding of the relationships among teachers, students, and parents. Fast forward to the present, she is currently, working as an initial teacher educator, which allows her to share her enthusiasm for the profession with prospective teachers.

After graduating from my Degree, I continued to follow Ms. Azzopardi's journey through her different research which include early childhood education, literacy development, Block Play, Loose Parts Play, AI in Storytelling and more. Ms. Sue Azzopardi has a strong passion for the Maltese language and enjoys writing in Maltese, something which I have been trying to improve but know that is is not a walk in the park, hence why I think it is impressive.

If that is not enough, believing that it is never too late to learn, she is now pursuing a Professional Doctorate in Educational Leadership and she also coaches young gymnasts. I do not blame Ms. Sue Azzopardi in yearning for long summer days because rather than simply staying put, she is building stronger knowledge and experiences leading to furthermore prestigious inspiring collaborations while motivating individuals like myself to never say never. A woman like Ms. Sue Azzopardi who believes in other people's potential is not be underestimated and instead be celebrated as a true testimony of what a role-model looks like.

Ms. Cherise Pace

My first memory of Ms. Cherise Pace as an early years practitioner takes me back to my last year at MCAST doing my Level 5 Higher National Diploma. Ms. Cherise Pace was one of the very few students from the first cohort of the Higher National Diploma course at MCAST, and we were students from the second cohort. Luckily we got the chance to meet and ask Ms. Cherise and her peers some questions about choices after the course, and thankfully her response was very honest, humble and needed.

Looking back to that summer, I managed to work with Ms. Cherise Pace for a very short time at a child care centre. I remember sitting on the floor with children around me waiting for an interview to take place. In the meantime I was invited by Ms.Cherise Pace to join in with the morning singalongs. There, I was witnessing great practice in front of my eyes before I even started working as a practitioner myself and that inspired me to soak in everything, learn and grow.

Although work commitments, families and friendships move forward, I kept following Ms. Cherise's journey from the side line because she has inspired my profession in various ways without her knowing. Now Ms. Cherise Pace is a doting mother of three beautiful boys Ben, Adam and Nick. She is also a teacher at St Aloysius Collehe teaching pre prep (kg2) but currently on maternity leave because she recently gave birth to a beautiful seven week old baby. Excited to learn more about the wonders she is about the endure with her magnificent trio and students, I await for her positive influence to fill up further passion in my capabilities once she returns to the classroom or have enough time to share on her blog.

Her love for teaching early childhood children comes from the purest heart and even though there is a curriculum to follow in her projects, she includes a lot of hands on activities. Ms. Cherise Pace tackles themes, projects and investigations which are interesting to the children and uses these opportunities to enhance her teaching and learning. Apart from that, she gives a lot of importance to fine motor skills and as a teacher she creates endless activities to help the children develop or strebgtgen these skills. The preparation, implementation and outcomes provide Ms. Cherise a true sense of joy and a pleasure.

Another thing which she is truly passionate about and loves is story telling. According to Ms. Cherise Pace, captivating the attention of the little ones with stories is one of the most joyful things in teaching. I remember following her Mama Diaries page and seeing how this love for stories really come to life, such as how she takes the essence of stories and bring them to life with multiple resources and amazing enthusiasm.

Nevertheless, Ms. Cherise Pace is someone I will always admire because of her, I was able to start introducing myself to opening new ideas which later continued to let me flourish in my own path. Nowadays she still does the same concepts but through media rather than in person. Still worth a shout out on Women's Day because she has always been and will always be a role model in my eyes.

This time I am sharing with you six out of so many beautiful inspiring professionals, who all have something extraordinary to offer. Yes they may somehow be linked to my profession one way or another, or they have allowed space for me to learn and grow, however these remarkable women do more than just that. They are a true testimony that nothing is impossible and how although things may differ from one human being to another, a positive mindset, resilience and perseverance are the loudest role-models of all time.

A special thank you to all these beautiful women who took time in helping me with this blog post and I look forward in showing you further more people who inspire me as equally as these six professionals. My 40 before 40 list starts today and I am eager to meet, get inspired and learn from further individuals who are as equally inspirational as these six women here today.