What is your hometown?
I was born and spent my early childhood years in Racine, Wisconsin. My father worked for a multinational company, and by the time I was in middle school, the entire family had been relocated to Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles. I graduated from high school in Mexico City in 1971.
How did you hear about WPC?
After my retirement in 2020 and the death of my husband in 2021, I spent some time considering how I wanted to show my gratitude for the opportunities I have been given in life. I have a group of committed female friends, and one of them is involved in a women’s organization at the University of California–Berkeley that is very similar to WPC. She was sure I would find my place at the University of Wisconsin.
Describe your connection to UW–Madison.
My grandparents emigrated from Mexico after the Mexican Revolution in the 1920s with the express purpose of improving the lives of their children through education. The family has had a member matriculating at UW–Madison every decade since the 1940s. The first member of the family to attend was my aunt Reynalda Carreño (Mondragón). She received a BA in 1948 and an MA in 1949. She was followed by her sister Rachel Carreño, who received a BS in 1950, and my father Abel, who received his degree in 1956. The next generation started at the university in the 1960s. I graduated from the School of Nursing with a BSN in 1976. There is an endowed scholarship in my grandparents’ name at the College of Letters & Science (L&S), the Angelina and Jesús Carreño scholarship. My aunt’s papers are archived at the university.
How do you spend your time?
I stay personally involved at the university by mentoring students at the School of Nursing. In 2022, I was the featured donor speaker at the L&S scholarship recipient reception. Locally, I volunteer at the San Francisco Marin Food Bank and the Restorative Justice Ministry of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. My commitment to learning has not ended with retirement, and I can be found in history classes at the local community college. Since January of this year, I have been reorganizing my time and traveling around the birth of my first grandchild.
What is something important/fun for WPC to know about you?
I love my bikes. I have three of them. Any free time is spent traveling around the Bay Area by bike. I am looking forward to combining biking and river cruising in Portugal this fall.