ACBSP IMPACT

What is your background? What did you do before coming to ACBSP?

I was born and raised in Spain. I met my husband Erik in the south of Spain while I was in college. He was spending a year there to practice Spanish. When he moved back home to Colorado, we maintained a long-distance relationship for three more years, until I moved to the U.S. in the summer of 2011, specifically to Kansas City, where he had found a job. For seven years, I worked at a hotel in the Kansas City area until I joined the ACBSP family in September 2018!

What was your first job?

Like many of us, I worked as a waitress for a few summers. My first long-term job was as a tour guide at Bodegas Williams & Humbert, a winery located in Jerez de la Frontera, south of Spain. It was founded in 1877 and specializes in sherry products. I conducted tours for groups of up to 100 people, showing them around the property, explaining the history and process to make each wine, and finishing with a wine tasting of all products. It was a really interesting job and I learned a lot about sherry wines!

What are you most proud to have accomplished in your life?

I am a very proud mom of a 1-year-old boy named Raymond. I had always dreamt of having kids and, as challenging as it can sometimes be to juggle work, family and life, the joys of being a parent are certainly worth it. We are now awaiting baby #2, who is expected to arrive this November!

What has been your greatest challenge in life?

The greatest challenge for me was to leave my family and friends and move to a different country (a different continent!). Leaving everything I knew to be with the person I loved was always a clear choice for me, but at the same time, it was never easy. I was 23 years old then.

What do you like most about working for ACBSP?

The thing I enjoy most about ACBSP is the people I work with! The team we have is incredible! They are all not just hard-working people, but genuinely good and caring people. They truly feel like family!

What are three qualities that got you where you are today?

A strong work ethic, hard work and my husband’s support got me where I am today.

What kind of work would you do for free?

I would be a home decorator for rich people or a food critic!!

What is one thing you’re epically bad at?

I have a few good dishes, but in general I am epically bad at cooking. For some reason, I can’t even follow most recipes. More often than not I will realize I missed an ingredient or added the wrong amount of something. Lucky for me, my husband enjoys cooking so he makes sure we are all well fed!