Professor Mendoza earned her B.A. in Social Work from the University of the Philippines in 1957 and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan in 1960, where she was a Fulbright scholar. Former professor and chairperson of social work at the University of the Philippines’ College of Social Work and Community Development, from which she retired in 1999 after 37 years of service. She is currently a professor at the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ Philippine Judicial Academy. She has received several honors, including the Professional Regulation Commission’s 1999 Outstanding Professional Award in the field of Social Work, the Philippine Association of Social Workers’ Most Outstanding Social Worker in the Academe Award during its Golden Jubilee celebration in 1998, and the University of the Philippines’ Outstanding Faculty for Teaching Award in 1990 and Outstanding Faculty Award for Community Service in 1993. She has written a book, Social Work with Groups, that covers her vast experience-based knowledge of the field.