Maliha Mendoza Mahmood
Superscrabble Club Director, Tustin, California
Born on June 5, 1946, Maliha Mendoza Mahmood became an American citizen in April 1982. Her second language is English, taught by teachers who were trained to teach the American English Language. During the American occupation of the Philippines (1898-1946) all public and private schools were mandated to use English as a medium of instruction for all subjects and courses of study, all the way from Luzon (the northern islands), Visayas (the middle islands), to Mindanao (the southern islands) where her basic elementary school education began. She was known as Melba Mendoza prior to her marriage.
Being a student intern at the Holy Spirit Academy (a Catholic school run by the German nuns, known as the Servants of the Holy Spirit Convent, Laoag, Ilocos Norte), her primary means of communication was English. She underwent a process of immersion in the English language both in writing and speaking. In 1964, she graduated from the Holy Spirit Academy High School. As a freshman in college, she went to the Universidad de Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila. Maliha later transferred to the University of the East (UE), where she finished her business administration training. In 1967 she traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, and worked as an administrative assistant to the Chairman of the Structural Engineering Department at the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) Graduate School of Engineering. While in Bangkok, she met Arshud Mahmood, a Pakistani, to whom she got married. In 1972, Maliha completed an Associate of Business Administration from Heald College of Business, San Francisco. She learned medical terminologies by working as a transcriptionist subcontractor for medical practitioners from 1984-1997. At present, she is an administrator and associate with MCE Consultants, Inc., (civil, geotechnical, and forensic engineering consulting firm) located in Tustin, California.
Maliha was 13 years old when her aunt, Rosa Mendoza Bumagat, a school teacher, introduced and taught her how to play Scrabble®. Married to an Agricultural High School principal, Aunt Rosa’s family lived in rural Odiongan, Romblon, in the Visayan Island of Tablas. No television. The most exciting part of growing up was listening to a radio program known as “The Voice of America.” This is how Maliha learned much of her English. She memorized and wrote them down. It is understandable how much she loves the English language. Maliha has participated in many Scrabble® tournaments within the USA and Western Canada. She also participated in club games in Albany, Western Australia, and in Sydney using SOWPODS (now known as CSW12) adjudicator. She filed and treasured all the partial lists handed to her by teachers and Scrabble® directors. She typed all the words she heard and visually learned by typing words she read (certificated in transcription for 100 wpm and touch typing speed of 91 wpm through Heald College of Bus.). The collection finally became a serious compilation of words. She wanted to share this compilation with everyone who likes to play the Superscrabble Club games or any popular word games similar to Scrabble®.
Maliha is very happy that Super Scrabble® game board was manufactured in 2004 by Hasbro of USA and Canada, and now distributed by Winning Moves Games. The games at a Superscrabble Club are a challenge that every Scrabble® player must face. It is the only game board that has the space for playable long words containing 2 to 21 letters, albeit in multiple steps.
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Maliha passed peacefully from her earthly life on August 21, 2019 while at home with her beloved husband, Arshud. She had been busy doing what she loved by preparing for her next Superscrabble Club meeting which was to be the following day. Funeral services were held on August 23, 2019.
Super Scrabble® 