(Photo courtesy Linda Smith)
Our own Scott Fletcher recently wrote a fascinating story for the UCLA Anderson website about Linda Smith ('95), who has dedicatied herself to promoting reading, literacy and self-sufficiency in Guatemala. Here is an excerpt:
Linda Smith ('95) first traveled to Guatemala in 1988. She was between jobs and eager to learn Spanish. A friend had suggested Guatemala saying that the Spanish spoken there is beautiful and spoken slowly with all the letters clearly pronounced. She spent three months living with a family in Antigua, Guatemala and traveling around the country. Unknowingly, Linda's experiences in Guatemala would become the foundation for her life's work.
Upon returning to the U.S., Linda taught school for a while and then started a small business importing clothing and crafts from Guatemala. "I worked with families of artisans and sold woven shirts, pants, belts, purses and similar items," she says. "That's when I first realized that perhaps there was a place for me in the business world."
To read all about Smith and her important work in Guatemala, please click here.
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