Kay Gozon Jimenez receives Doctorate of Humane Letters from US-based university

A United States-based university on Wednesday honored entrepreneur and environmentalist Carolina “Kay” Gozon Jimenez, the older sister of GMA Network Chairman Atty. Felipe Gozon, for her humanitarian work and environmental work.

The Promise Christian University in California, USA conferred on Jimenez the Doctor of Humane Letters, an honorary degree recognizing contributions to society, in Makati City.

The recognition also highlights her lifelong service, leadership, contributions to others, and work in areas that reflect humanitarian value.

University founder and president Dr. Michael McKinney described Gozon Jimenez as an “unusual woman of God” whom they admire.

“Her knowledge of the Lord and the Holy Spirit within her life, which gives us the opportunity to help people and be compassionate. And she embodies all of that altogether. She's a very unusual woman to recognize that,” McKinney told GMA News Online.

Meanwhile, co-founder Dr. Adelle McKinny highlighted Jimenez’s kindness, saying that she is always considerate and concerned about others.

“We saw her many times notice something that was missing, like something that was needed, and she would, without anybody knowing, go and help and do things like that,” Adelle said.

As an author, Gozon Jimenez draws on her positive outlook by showing how God works in people's lives, Adelle said.

“All stories have positive endings, positive endings, because she's a very positive person. So all her stories have very, like, what God could do or how God brought me through or how I was healed, whatever it is, very positive,” she added.

Recipes for life, a bamboo garden

Launched in 2022, in the book entitled "Recipes for Life: Hearty Servings for Joyful Living," Gozon Jimenez discussed her experiences in marriage, motherhood, relationships, business and industry, helping others, health and beauty, faith, among others.

The stories in the book were compiled by her youngest child, Carmen Jimenez Ong.

Gozon Jimenez is also the founder and owner of The Carolina Bamboo Garden, which houses both indigenous and exotic varieties of plants and a venue for researching the various aspects of bamboo production and utilization.

In her comment, read by her son Butch, Kay honored her mother and grandmother, who helped shape her Christian faith.

"Both have showed examples by doing what they believe in sharing the blessings God had blessed them with," Kay said.

"Every blessing comes with a responsibility to share it with others. This belief has guided my involvement in Christian endeavors, community initiative, and environmental sustainability," she added.

In 2024, Promise Christian University conferred the Humanitarian Award and Doctor of Humane Letters on Menardo Jimenez, Kay's husband and former president of GMA Network, serving from 1976 to 2000.

First Filipinos

According to the McKinny couple, Menardo and Kay Jimenez are the first Filipinos to receive the Doctorate of Humane Letters, the university’s highest honor.

“I think that all of us here today, we're eyewitnesses to what took place in the awarding of this degree, would want to emulate what God has done in Sister Kay's life in our own experience,” Michael said.

“I would just encourage the people to allow the Holy Spirit to use you to the nth degree that God wants to use you to do,” he added.

The awarding was also attended by Menardo and Kay’s children: Butch, Joel, Laurie, and Carmen, their families, and representatives from the university and the couple’s friends. — BAP, GMA News