Delegate to the Diocesan Convention
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico in a family where service to others was a strong tradition. My parents opened our home to young members of the family pursuing a higher education providing them with room and board. And we were involved in the community thru outreach programs in our inner city church. With strong spiritual guidance from my parents, I began teaching children in Sunday school as a teenager.
Part of my elementary education came at the English-speaking Episcopal Cathedral School in San Juan, and I spent seventh thru eleventh in a magnet School of Plastic Arts where I fulfilled academic requirements for a high school diploma and my interest in communicating through the visual arts.
I received a teaching degree from the University of Puerto Rico in 1973 and taught in PR public schools for a year before moving to Boston. Soon I was teaching English as a Second Language to adults of many nationalities at the Cardinal Cushing Center in the South End and in time became director of the program. During that time, I pursued a Masters of Education at Lesley College.
I joined Boston Public Schools in 1988 where I taught first grade to bilingual students. Throughout this period, I had many opportunities to become a principal or administrator, but choose to remain in the classroom where I could have the most impact on young children and their families. These 44 years of teaching add up to a very fulfilling career.
I retired in 2017 and enjoyed the welcome rest. However, I still felt a calling to serve. Honoring my parents example of service to family and community, I started volunteering at the Dedham Food Pantry, as I searched for a church where I could fulfill my spiritual needs and to be of service to others.
St Paul’s Church in Dedham was the perfect fit. I became a member of St Paul’s in 2019 where I now serve as Outreach Coordinator!