1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and what were you doing before arriving at THINK Global School?

Well, my background is in the arts. I’m a cultural manager, an opera singer, a stage director and, of course, a logistics professional. I earned both my master’s and doctoral degrees in music from Arizona State University. So, sadly, I’m not the kind of doctor who can prescribe medicine, but hey, if you need someone to surgically analyze a budget, treat a logistical headache, or resurrect cultural and artistic projects, I’m your guy!

I was born in Tuxpan, Veracruz, on the Mexican coast. However, I’ve spent most of my life in Mexico State and Mexico City. Before joining TGS, I was Head of Cultural and Artistic Activities for the Oaxaca State High School System, and right before that, I served as Principal of the School of Fine Arts at Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca. I’ve also taught voice lessons at both the university and high school levels for about ten years.

2. If you could make one major change to global education, what would it be?

I can think of two! First, accessibility. Education should be approachable and affordable for everyone. Second, well, I’m a voice teacher, so I work with students in one-on-one lessons. The human voice is such an intimate trait that it requires a personal pedagogical approach. You need to understand what your students are thinking about, listening to, how their individual voices work, and how to be empathetic to their learning experiences.

I’m aware that traditional group educational settings do not always provide enough room for personal connection, but I think it would be wonderful if our education systems could create more safe spaces for students and educators to develop meaningful personal and professional connections that enhance a love for learning. Places like TGS remind me that this kind of education is possible.

3. What aspects of THINK Global School’s educational model do you find most appealing?

When people think about TGS, some of the most appealing aspects of its educational model tend to be its wonderful multicultural nature, its emphasis on onsite learning and travel, and the amazing opportunity students have to turn their personal interests into meaningful research projects within a safe educational space.

However, I think its most remarkable aspect is human connection. TGS provides students with a unique learning environment that fosters friendship, cooperation, mutuality, and respect. Students share deep conversations, awe-inspiring moments, and transformative living and learning experiences. The bonds they form are deep, real, and moving, and often continue long after graduation.

4. Which of our core values do you feel you most embody, and why?

Compassion. My all-time favorite Maya Angelou quote is: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Kindness and empathy are extremely important when you are far away from home. We have to become each other’s home and safe place when living abroad.

5. Do you have any hobbies that you are passionate about?

If you ask Jorge, my partner, he would say my current greatest hobby is Duolingo. He patiently bears with me practicing four or five languages a day and doing my best to introduce myself or order food in each one. I do love languages.

Writing ranks very high among my hobbies as well. I write when I need to make sense of the world, and that recently resulted in my first published book, La Danza de las Nubes, a collection of eleven short texts that navigate everyday life through a somewhat poetic lens.

Long walks through the streets of Mexico City with my dog, Tomás, are also among my favorite activities.

6. What is your most memorable travel experience thus far?

Kenya. One day, life gives you the opportunity to find yourself in the middle of the African savanna.

No nearby civilization as we know it, no city noise, just tree branches moving with the wind and a giraffe in the distance. It’s so quiet that you can hear your own breath. As you exhale, it feels like your essence dissolves into the air. Part of me feels like I never truly came back, and that my heart still lives among giraffes, elephants, and zebras.

7. What is your favorite book, and why?

That’s a difficult question because my favorite books tend to change throughout different stages of my life. I love books that challenge the way I see the world, and I have a particular fondness for works that are a little unusual, unexpected, or difficult to categorize. Some have explored faith, ethics, identity, and human relationships, while others have simply reminded me of the importance of human connection.

Forgive the cliché, but the fox in The Little Prince still resonates deeply with me because it reflects the way I relate to animals and the bonds we share with them. I also have a soft spot for biographies of musicians, academic writing, and graphic novels. Did someone say Green Lantern?

My bookshelf can look a little chaotic at times, but curiosity is the thread that ties it all together.