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Click on the photos to learn more about each member
Latina Symposium Committee
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I was born and raised in Chile, in the city of Linares, an agricultural area known for its fruits and wines. Always passionate about communications, I studied Journalism at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Then I worked as a reporter and also in corporate communications until I decided to move to San Francisco, more than 20 years ago. Where I decided to start all over again: learn English, study and study and find a space in a new country. I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Boise State University and continued working in Public Relations and Corporate Communications but now using my second language, English. When I had my first daughter, I decided to stay home. Today, I have two beautiful girls of 9 and 4 years old. During these years of motherhood and personal growth I have learned invaluable things that do not fit in any resume or degree. I learned about the value of being a woman, sorority, the need to make community, where we rely on people and friends, building a more humane world. And that sense of well-being is conveyed to our children. The Latina Symposium offers women and the entire community that opportunity to help and at the same time receive. One as a volunteer, you offer your talents and resources and at the same time you receive the support of other women and the gratification of knowing that we are part of something bigger, that makes us all grow together under the principles of support, respect and trust. Maribel Pastor
Latina Symposium Director |
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I’m originally from Valdivia, a college town in southern Chile. I grew up surrounded by lush vegetation, forests, rivers, and nonstop rain. When I moved to Seattle in 2018, it felt like home. The majority of my professional experience has been in market research and consulting, working with clients and companies across many industries and in multiple Latin American countries. I earned my B.A. in Business Administration from Universidad Austral de Chile, a Master of Finance from Universidad de Chile, and a Certificate in Marketing from UC Berkeley. Every time I move to a new city, one of the first things I do is to look for opportunities to volunteer. That's how I learned about Somos Mujeres Latinas and the annual symposium. Their mission to connect and educate Latinas resonated with my own mission in life. I am convinced that courage is not just to get to the top of the mountain, but to pull the next one up, to get there too. Today, I am grateful and honored to have the opportunity to use my skills and experience for the empowerment of Latin women in Washington State. Carolina Guzman
Latina Symposium Assistant Director |
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I am a Licensed Social Worker with a Masters from the University of Washington and also an Adlerian therapist, Parenting coach and a Parent Education Instructor at North Seattle College. As a mother of three kids, my dream is that as our kids grow up and navigate the world, there will be lot more Latina Women in power and as role models. We need more Latinas to empower our children and show them that they all can reach their dreams. This Latina Symposium, a dream that was only made possible by the grant provided by the Parent Education Program from North Seattle College. The dream is to organize and bring together Latinas from different educational backgrounds, economical status, and cultures to form a sense of community and to empower each other and make their dreams a possibility. This is my story My family relocated from Mexico to the United States looking for a better future in the 90s. When I was 15 years old and could barely speak or understand English, my high school carrier counselor in San Antonio asked me in broken Spanish, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” I answered without a hesitation, “A nurse!”. Growing up in Mexico and watching my Godmother who was a town nurse, I was inspired to become a nurse. So, with a high confidence & enthusiasm, I answered “A Nurse!”. The counselor looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. She then proceeded to give me a carrier/vocational test which I did my best with my limited English knowledge. The counselor graded my test and came back with a striking news that I will be no more than a fast food restaurant worker. My heart sank but my hopes endured. From that point on I made a conscious decision that I will not only become successful but also be a bridge to encourage and motivate any minority or less privileged population; especially Latinas to continue their own dreams. Tania Hino
Founder and Fundraising Coordinator |
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8 years ago I came from Ecuador, where I had studied International Business and where I had completed a Masters in Marketing. One year after arriving in Portland, Oregon, I was presented the opportunity to work at Oregon Health and Sciences University as a Spanish Interpreter. This job allowed me to meet many people from different origins and cultures. Through this experience I learned that while Spanish speakers were often looking for help with English they were also looking for a chance to share part of their life with others with whom they had things in common. Now that I am dedicated to raising my three children here in Seattle, I realize that I also want to share my experiences with other women so that we can mutually enrich ourselves and thrive together. My goal as an organizer of the North Seattle College Latina Symposium is to create unity within the Latinas. Everyone has their own dreams in life. I am a true believer that Latinas Women can be successful at any goal they set their mind to with the right support. My dream has come through with hard work, support and encouragement from many people around me that includes family members, friends, and good teachers who believed in me. Veronica Duran Sisk
SML Board Vice President | SML Scholarship Fundraising Coordinator |
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When I learned about the Latina Symposium, I immediately knew that this is a project that I wanted to be part of. I attended the first two years and was touched and inspired with all the great energy of the attendants and the presenters. I am grateful for this event that provides the opportunity to Latino women to network, to learn new leadership tools and to find inspiration to work on their goals. I have worked closely with the Latino community in various roles. It always amazes me and makes me so proud of the resiliency of our community and the inner strength of the Latino women. For several years I worked as a Mental Health Therapist with children and families in a community agency. I then transitioned to the social work field, working with Children’s Administration, as part of their Child Protective Services Unit. Currently, I am working as a Social Worker with the Edmonds School District. I am originally from the Dominican Republic. I am the proud mamá of a beautiful bi-lingual and bi-cultural son, with whom I enjoy sharing songs and stories from my childhood. Rosa Rosario
Comité de Mesas de Recursos |
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I am Colombian, I enjoy my family and the wonders that nature has to offer. I work as a teacher, and to spend time with the kids that I guide every day, fills me with energy. I have worked for more than 20 years in the educational field, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Basic Education, with emphasis on Social Sciences, and also specializations in Educational Management, Ethics and Pedagogy. I am passionate about sharing and receiving knowledge. Participating in the symposium gives me the opportunity to give my small contribution in creating opportunities, for Latina women in WA. Leonor López
Comité de Voluntarias |
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Jennifer Ricaldi
Comité de Registro |
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I was born in a small town in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. I come from a large a family of 6 sisters and 5 brothers, and where machismo is deeply rooted. I was the first in my family to get a high school certificate. At the age of 23, I became a single mom. With a high school certificate and being a single mom, the future in Mexico was not very encouraging for me and my daughter, so we emigrated to the United States in 2004. When I first arrived, I started working cleaning houses. I currently have my own cleaning business, and I am also the co-founder of the MamaSola project, which is dedicated to supporting single moms. When I met Tania and the Latina Women's Symposium, I knew it was what I had been looking for, and that I wanted to be a part of it, because I am convinced that when a woman changes, the whole community changes, but when many women unite for change, the whole world changes. Sonia Ruedas
Comité de Paquetes |
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Carolina Forero
Comité de Paquetes Virtuales |
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Collaborator Committee
Mesas de recursos: Ivonne Villacis
Registro: Vicky Cabrera
Paquetes: Nia Zapata
Canastas: Diana, Jimena Verbel
Voluntarias: Lulu Roque, Janely Alvarez
Medios Sociales: Daniela Spreacker, Jimena Verbel, Lynette Vargas
Registro: Vicky Cabrera
Paquetes: Nia Zapata
Canastas: Diana, Jimena Verbel
Voluntarias: Lulu Roque, Janely Alvarez
Medios Sociales: Daniela Spreacker, Jimena Verbel, Lynette Vargas
Our Allies
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Bio coming soon... Betty Williams
Parent Education Coordinator North Seattle College |
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I’ve also come to believe that women are the key to creating a more just and content world. They have the capacity and lived experience to appreciate and understand what human beings need for a decent life. The more successes women accumulate, the more secured and healthy their family. And for me, the children of these women have a greater chance to do well in school and take hold of their own dreams. So it’s in my interest to see a growing number of Latina women succeeding. The success of our students is directly tied to the success of their mothers. The women that have participated in the Symposium appreciate the power of hopes and aspirations. And all of men, women and us that can help provide tools and resources for their success should do so. I was born in Costa Rica and raised in the Big Apple. I am a family support worker for Seattle Public Schools. I have a Master’s degree in human development. I have spent the last 15 years in the social service sector and a dedicated human rights supporter. I have also volunteered in behalf of Latino arts and culture, and been privileged to work with many ethnic and minority communities. For the last few years I have worked in a school with a large Latino population. This experience has given me a deeper appreciation of the challenges facing the families I work with, especially the mothers. I’ve been inspired by my mom and the neighborhood we grew up in. Historically women have stood behind their men, supporting them in many ways while their husbands staked out a place in the world for themselves. The world economy has forced the family to make the mother work more taking several jobs besides her responsibility at home, because now moms don’t have much of a choice but to go out into the world and compete for jobs. Instead of one partner standing behind the other, why not join the two and hand in hand. This is a healthier, enriching and powerful way to make the women’s dreams, and that of the entire family, come true. My mom came to this country in her early thirties, and spent most her working days cleaning houses or doing factory work. She had a good heart and mind, but we lived in a very poor and dangerous part of New York City. It was very hard for her to find and secure contacts or resources to realize her own dreams. The moms I currently work with all carry a little bit of my own mom, similar aspirations and struggles, moments of sadness and melancholy; moments of laughter and hope. I hear them, I hear her. My mom and my job have helped me to appreciate the power of dreams and aspirations. People must allow themselves to hold on to and nourish their hopes and passions. Sometimes that is the only thing that keeps them strong in the face of trauma and struggle. I try to remember this when I come to work every day. Most of the people I interact with at work are women, and I try to do one of two things or both, if I can, not to stand in the way of their dreams, and if they seem ready to “fly” find ways to give them more tools for a successful flight. A great part of my job now is about nourishing dreams. Guillermo Carvajal
Co-founder / Collaborator |
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"The Latina Symposium is one of the best empowerment programs I’ve seen. Its holistic approach to community leadership development will have lasting impact for generations. It is an honor to support the Latina Symposium and its future engagement and mobilization for a more racially equitable future. I wish we could have Latina Symposiums in communities across the State." - Peter Bloch Garcia Peter Bloch Garcia currently serves as Executive Director for the Latino Community Fund of Washington State. Mr. Bloch Garcia has served grassroots community organizing groups as a Program Officer of the Marguerite Casey Foundation for over seven years in the Southwest region of the United States. Prior to joining the Foundation, Peter served as Associate Program Officer in the research and evaluation department of the education division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before entering the philanthropic field, he worked as a secondary-level classroom teacher. He is also involved locally with the Para Los Niños, the UW School of Social Work’s Communities that Care leaders group, and the Coalition of Immigrants, Refugees and Communities of Color. Peter holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. Peter Bloch Garcia
Interim Executive Director Seattle International Foundation |
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Bio coming soon... D'Andre Fisher
Associate Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion North Seattle College |