My Favorite Expertise:
- Education, Alternative Education, Charlotte Mason Education
- Literature; Children’s Literature Translation
- Hispanic identity and heritage in the United States
Other Important Experience:
- Communications (Press, Media, Internet)
- Business, Fair Trade, Inclusive Business
- Non-profit organizations, Civil Society
- International Cooperation and Development
- Social, Community Development, Research
- Human Resources Management
- Tourism, Entrepreneurship
I am a Member of:
As a little girl growing up in a small town in Southern Chile, the minute I grabbed a hold of books and the English language, my path was laid out for me.
I took some twists and turns before finding a way forward. Given that College was out of the question–debt being the nightmare my parents encouraged us to run away from–I had a rocky professional start right after completing my vocational training in High School. Life seemed bleak so I dared to look at College as an option. Thanks to a school credit turned (gasp!) full scholarship plus my parents’ support and a constant stream of odd jobs (babysitting, typing & translating during College), I became the first person in my family to go to College (I’m still shocked!). Thinking I needed whichever English degree to complete my vocational training, and given that the English Teaching degree was closed at our local University, I chose English-Spanish Translation at Universidad Católica de Temuco. What a blast! I had no idea that this career path would be a perfect fit for my love of learning, languages and literature–but God knew, right?
Thus, I graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor degree in English-Spanish Translation which included some of the following super interesting subjects:
- Linguistics. English, Spanish
- Critical/Theoretical/Historical Approaches to Translation
- Advanced Translation and Language Study (translation between English and Spanish)
- Terminology and Translation Project Management
- Specialized Translation (Development, Commercial, Legal, Technical and Medical Translation)
- Research Skills and Methods
It takes more than having two hands to be a good pianist. It takes more than knowing two languages to be a good translator or interpreter.
~ François Grosjean
My professional experience started early as I translated continually for clients during my studies. However, when it came to an Internship, I knew it would take a miracle to find a good job opportunity since I didn’t know anyone in the field –connections are vital in Chile. One day, God blessed me with an internship when a teacher offered it to a whole class of students: No one seemed interested in a low-key, rural non-profit in our region. I guess all of us were actually expecting to go directly to the United Nations or a transnational company, ha! I felt a slap in my head. I should better take this opportunity! That’s how I arrived at Fundación Chol-Chol in Chile, for an internship under the direction of Marnie Schilken, one impactful boss and teacher in my early professional years.
After my graduation, Fundación Chol-Chol in Chile invited me to work for them as their first Head of National and International Relations charged with creating and implementing a national and international volunteers management program, as well as public relations & communications. Later on, my role changed to Head of Resources Development, which added the tasks of research, fundraising and grant-writing to my already full workload. I was by then under the direction of Pamela Ríos Vera, the second most amazing boss and teacher in my career. When she left, I became Executive Director, leading the bilingual communications and business efforts. My tasks included Community Development, National and International Business Management, Public Relations & Communications, Grants Writing and Resources Development, Volunteering Management, and Administration. I volunteered for the Latin American Chapter of the World Fair Trade Organization, which allowed me to participate in Fair Trade advocacy initiatives carried out in Chile, Latin America and internationally.
I cannot even begin to describe how blessed I was to work with this amazing organization!
Fundación Chol-Chol, 2019
Other Professional Experience
- Freelance English>Spanish Translator for the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC); the International Medical Group (IMG) and for LTS Mundo Translation Agency (team member of projects for the World Bank and the United Nations)
- French to Spanish Pro-Bono Translator with Compassion Switzerland
- Member of bilingual business team marketing Mapuche Weavings sold by Fundación Chol-Chol in Chile at Gift Shows and market survey teams in the USA
- Represented Fundación Chol-Chol at Fair Trade World Conference in Nepal and Fair Trade events in Trelew, Argentina
- Represented Fundación Chol-Chol during the 6th CIVICUS World Assembly in Glasgow, Scotland; and the 2nd International Forum on Solidarity Tourism and Fair Trade in Chiapas, Mexico
- Received scholarship by the Inter-American Institute for Economic and Social Development (Inter-American Development Bank), to attend the Seminar “Youth Leadership, Democracy and Social Development” in Washington, D.C., USA
- Received scholarship by the Counsil of Europe, to attend the Conference “Europe, Youth and Globalisation” in Strasbourg, France