I was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, into a bicultural family. On the volcanic slopes of the Irazu, my mother—a Costa Rican attorney—and father—a Swiss and French agricultural engineer—met. Soon after my birth, we moved to Ecuador and later to Guatemala and Uruguay. I was three when we arrived in Chile, where I spent most of my childhood until I was nine years old. Once again, we moved, this time to Mexico City, where we lived for 8 years. My parents wanted a consistent curriculum in my school years, and that is why I attended the French School. The only thing that changed was the place, my teachers, and my classmates. Finally, we moved to Costa Rica, where I finished high school and started my bachelor's degree at the University of Costa Rica in civil engineering. You could say my early life was a journey of constant change. Even though moving was not always easy, leaving friends behind and working to make new ones, it taught me resilience, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in new environments.
Water has been one of my passions for decades, which is why I chose to become a hydrologist and dedicate my work to water-related challenges.
My experience with various NGOs has given me a deeper perspective on community building, resilience, and the importance of linking global challenges to regional and local action. Working with those directly affected by climate and water extremes is central to my work.
Finally, I think that as a scientist and engineer, I must also be an effective communicator. Science communication is another one of my interests because it helps bridge the gap between research, policy, and communities, and ultimately shapes the success and impact of any project.
Looking ahead, I aim to continue combining research, applied work, and communication to support communities facing water- and climate-related challenges around the world.