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The beginning
I was born on December 9th, 1988 in Mesitas del Colegio Cundinamarca. My parents are Alberto a kind of mechanic and Patricia a hairdresser. I have one brother called Alberto and he is an Engineer. -
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First dimension of identity
School and religious vocation -
My baptism
I began to be part of the Catholic Church with my baptism. -
My first communion
I received Jesus for the first time in the parish Sacred Family in Bogotá -
First years and school education
I studied my elementary school in Madrid, Bogotá, and Facatativa. I always liked the Arts and English subjects. I finished my elementary school in 1999. -
My confirmation
From the experience of the preparation to the sacrament of Confirmation I was very interested in serving people, sharing the Word of God, and doing social labor. I was very close to the Seminary of Facatativa diocese. Thanks to the father Víctor Hugo Rodas I knew the Community of Dominican Sisters. My family was not so close to the Church so they didn't expect that I decided to join the religious life -
High school
I studied my high school at Colegio Departamental Manuela Ayala de Gaitán a public school in Facatativá where I had a great English teacher from 9th to 11th grade. I was really interested in English so I got a program to study by myself on the computer, like that I learned vocabulary and grammar. I finished high school in 2005. I was the best "bachiller" of my school and I got the best score in prueba ICFES. -
Joining the religious life
I joined the community of Dominican sisters and I started my process as a postulant. My father disagreed with my decision and didn't support me. As my process was very short my family, friends, and teachers thought that it was only a whim. My teachers advised me to go to university first and my father told me to go to an interchange program to London to learn English. However, I had already decided what I wanted to do. -
Novitiate
I started the process of becoming part of religious life and deep spiritual life. -
Uniminuto
I started studies at Uniminuto of Biblical science where I studied foundations of Linguistics, English, Greek, and Hebrew. It was an interesting cultural and ecumenical interchange. -
Temporary Vows
I did vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. -
Starting a life as a school teacher
I started giving religion classes at Nuestra Sra de Nazareth School in Bosa, Bogota. I was discouraged because it was shocking to face the reality of school and study at the same time plus community life. However, I overcame the difficulties and learned to manage the situations. -
Tensions and difficulties
This year I faced difficult familiar situations as my parents got divorced and I had some health difficulties because I didn't sleep well because of the university and the work at school. I didn't find enough support in the sisters that were living with me. After having some argue with my superior I was changed from Nazareth School to Fusagasuga. -
Sent far from my country
During the time I was in Fusagasugá I was helping the vocation promotion. The general Superior sent me to Spain since there weren't native sisters and they needed young people. I asked permission to finish studies but it was denied. I was in 6th semester and it was missing only two more. It made me feel frustrated. -
Living in Spain
I was sent to a spiritual house with a kinder garden in Carmona, Sevilla where I got used to the culture and I experienced the agony of being far from home. However, the cultural exchange helped me to be aware of new perspectives and life views. I had the opportunity to know some places in Spain and share their custom. I learned to drive and I was happy to be with the children even though I dropped my studies and my job as a teacher. -
Madrid
I was sent to a school in Madrid where I didn't have a hard job because I wasn't allowed to teach. Instead, I had free time and I started studying at UNIR by distance a career in teaching elementary school. However, I started having several questions around my lifestyle and my identity as religious woman inside that community. Besides, I retook my English studies because I met some native speakers at Santa María la Blanca School. -
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Fixing into a new identity
Several questions about who I really wanted to become were on my mind and I tried to be coherent with my ideal of life -
Decisions
I read about the community of Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Theresa of Calcutta and met the sisters who told me about the possibility of experience in that community. I asked that permission but I was sent back to Colombia on March 23rd. I was sent to a school where I was not giving classes so I insisted on the process and ask for a report of my religious life to sent it to India. They accepted, however, I had to wait until December for an answer from Calcutta, India. -
New Community, new cultural background
After having the experience with Missionaries of Charity in Cucuta and in Bogotá I was accepted to go to the house in Lima to start officially the formation process. There I shared with sisters from several countries and the official language was English. It was a completely different perspective of religious service. -
Unexpected change
When I was admitted to the postulancy in Mexico. Suddenly the process was finished and my Mistress sent me back to Colombia. So the process was interrupted and I tried to figure out what was God's will and what happened with my life project and my identity. -
Coming back
I came back to the former community, and at first I was admitted with temporary vows. They gave me a warm welcome. However, they weren't clear about the process. What I understood after several petitions of going ahead in the process, was that I had to start again. It was a big effort to fit in the community and I tried to do my best since I was very exigent with myself. I was sent to the first school where I started to teach but with the same Superior, so I got trouble again. -
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Lack of identity
When I thought I had founded my identity the community didn't accept me. -
New teaching experiences and expectations
I was sent to San Gil, Santander where I found an excellent community at the religious one and at school. I started to teach again and it was a challenge because I had to teach from kindergarten to High school. The academic level was excellent and I realized I needed to continue studying to become a teacher: I needed pedagogy and wider comprehension of education. There I felt supported and I was very active at school and at the Parish. -
B.A. in English as a foreign language
I realized that I needed to continue studying in order to give a better service to the community. Therefore, I asked permission to study but I didn't like the traditional careers in theology or philosophy and I had been improving my English since I had the experience to talk to several native speakers. My provincial superior gave me permission to start at USTA the B.A program but I was the only one and many sisters were against that opportunity. However, I started with enthusiasm and commitment. -
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Finding a new horizon
The B.A. in English as a foreign language opened new perspectives and possibilities -
Research Mentorship program
I didn't have too many opportunities to practice speaking so I decided to joined the conversation club at University and then I found interesting the research Mentorship Program to study, share experiences and learn. There the topics of narratives, culture, and identity were very engaging for me. I attended for two semesters and the third one I couldn't attend more but I shared my experience in an academic event and I joined Clea a network of students promoted by the British Council. -
Change to Ibagué
I was sent to Santa Teresa school and I traveled to Bogotá every weekend to study. There I lead the pastoral of the school with effort and creativity. However, there were community difficulties and I reflected on my life goals, the meaning of service, and my personal fulfillment. I didn't get an answer about my process to do the perpetual vows after two years. -
Starting a new life
After reflecting on the sense of happiness, fulfillment, and personal growth I decided to quit the community because I felt that my process was going nowhere and I had a wider perspective of service to the community, vocation, and God's love. The community wasn't clear about the impediments for me to do the perpetual vows so I got tired of the feeling of rejection. -
A preservice English teacher
I got a job as an English teacher at a private school in Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca where they asked me for an international test so I did the PET and I got B2 level. It was very satisfactory and I felt proud of myself. I was assigned to high school 6th and 7th graders. Actually it was a big change since it is my first experience teaching English but I tried to take advantage of all the knowledge provided by the studies at the B.A program. Besides, I faced the change of way of life. -
Open to new dreams
In this new stage I feel with inner peace, I feel I'm serving others through teaching. Furthermore, I live my relationship with God in the Catholic Church in an active way and I'm open to new people and experiences that make me feel a better human being. Moreover, traveling has given me newer perspectives, and English has allowed me to communicate and share great moments. -
JMJ Panamá
I participated in the YWD in Panamá where I shared with people from all over the world, I prayed and I enjoyed with my friends from the Girardot Diocese and I was close to Pope Francis. -
Covid-19 and virtual education
In 2020 I started teaching 11th graders what I find more demanding. It's a new challenge to provide them the necessary tools and to give them what they need in order to get a better performance in their skills. In addition, we are facing online studies due to the quarantine to avoid COVID-19 and it has pushed us to learn new tools and ways to teach and learn. Even though I have been studying online I have received formation to become a face to face teacher. It has pushed us to be creative. -
Future perspectives
I'll finish my career soon and I want to continue studying to get a master's degree. I'll apply for a scholarship and I would like to teach in an institution of superior education. Besides, I would like to travel to countries where English is the native language and get more cultural experiences.
