I was born and raised in Santiago, Chile.  My father had a broad range of interests and was an avid reader who fostered my love of books. His influence led me to pursue a degree in Spanish Literature and Philosophy at the University of La Serena (ULS) in Chile. While at ULS I enrolled in the Circo Minero, a student-led circus founded by the engineering of mining school, where I performed as a trapezist and fakir. 

Upon graduating I moved to the US.  This meant starting over from the bottom. I was a housekeeper, nanny, and bartender all while earning a teaching license. I worked in the DC Public Schools for several years.  I started as an aide and earned promotions that led to roles as an assistant principal, principal, and Deputy Chief for Teaching and Learning. In 2009 Adrian Fenty, then Mayor of DC, and City Administrator, Dan Tangherlini, promoted me to Director of Parks and Recreation. In that role, I had the honor of working with the late, Allen Lew in the completion of numerous major construction projects.  Some of the projects included the Wilson pool and Nationals Park, home to the Nats baseball team. When the Mayor’s term ended, I became the National Director of Mobilization and Outreach at StudentsFirst (a nonprofit focused on education initiatives). At StudentsFirst, I had the idea for Phone2Action, a technology for civic engagement. ​In 2013 I wrote a patent for connecting people to their lawmakers that was granted by the USPTO in 2021.  Phone2Action was acquired and I am now working on an effort to implement modern apprenticeships.