HACIENDO LA DIFERENCIA | MAKING A DIFFERENCE »
Peace Corps Volunteer in Cabo Corrientes and Puerto Vallarta More than a biologist, a human being with conviction to servicing the community Linda Asencio is a young woman originally from Texas, USA. She studied Wildlife Biology at Texas State University and received a certificate as a Composite Science teacher for grades 8-12. Since she was 17, she understood her calling to service others when she signed up as a volunteer at AmeriCorps, a government program that focuses on community development, public education and environmental conservation. “I worked with AmeriCorps for a year providing a social service to the community and it was something I loved because I had the opportunity to work with children in a community center. I was very satisfied to be able to help people in need”. While in college, Linda enrolled in several community organizations, like Austin Green Art and Resolution Gardens, which center around environmental conservation. After university she taught high school chemistry, but her adventurous spirit caused her to leave her job to go backpacking throughout Europe. Upon returning, Linda applied to work as a biology teacher in Abu Dhabi and as an English teacher in Seoul, which she got both but ultimately chose the latter. She went to South Korea with the idea to go back and work as a biologist with the Peace Corps... and so it was. “When I graduated, I told my teachers that if I did not get a job as a biologist, I would join the Peace Corps, which is a well-established program, as a volunteer. It is a step up from AmeriCorps; it’s the same kind of job but outside the country. I knew I would get offered a position because I had the experience of having worked in South Korea, of speaking another language, of many years as a volunteer, of having a teacher’s certificate, as well as a degree in biology.” Her endless desire to offer services to the community brought her back to the American continent, but this time, to Mexico. First in Querétaro and finally Cabo Corrientes and Puerto Vallarta, where she will remain as a volunteer for two years in natural resource management and environmental education. “I work as a natural resource management specialist at the National Commission of Protected Areas (CONANP, by its acronym in Spanish) and the Vallarta Botanical Garden. They are two positions that make me happy because they are dynamic. At the garden, my goal is to protect the area and its surroundings and would also like to get legal protection at the areas of Cabo Corrientes”. Her youthful and joyous way of reaching out to people opened up doors when she arrived to the region. “Before I arrived at Cabo Corrientes I was afraid, I thought that perhaps some people would have a bad impression of me. I knew Puerto Vallarta was a touristic place, so I doubted whether people were interested in protecting their surroundings. But when I arrived, everything was totally different. I found really nice people that were willing to work for the good of the community and the environment.” There are many projects in Linda’s mind, but she is aware that she should focus only on some of them. Her objective is to generate a community center in El Tuito with gardens, recycled art and educational areas where children and adults can have workshops to learn a trade, as well as sustainable tools and activities. There the community will be provided with all the information they need to teach environmental awareness and conservation.
Reserve at:
Linda Asencio • Voluntaria de Peace Corps Peace Corps Volunteer * linda@vbgardens.org
“During the three months that I have lived in the region, I have learned a lot about the villages and the work they do for the land, nature, and its people. I knew that Mexicans are nice, like to have fun, and put an importance on family and friends, so I am very happy because they are teaching me to be Mexican.” “Nature here is incredible. It’s a very special place with lots of diverse habitats and species—it has the coast, estuaries, mountains, forests, rivers, and so many others. I would like to change the way many people see the surroundings every day, and like everywhere in the world, when you see the same thing every day, it’s not special any more. To me, being from the southern part of Texas where there are no mountains, no rivers, no oceans, no forests, it’s dry and warm, being here is like being in paradise. I want to help people see that this place is special and needs to be conserved.” Linda does not hide that she likes Mexico; she likes its culture and people and assures us that she would like to visit all the states of the country. At the same time, she likes that Puerto Vallarta is cosmopolitan because she believes that cultures are mixing to generate something fun with plenty of energy. She admires people that give their time to help others, animals, or plants. Her musical taste goes from rock, hiphop and rap, to salsa and cumbia. With a sincere smile on her face and brightness in her eyes, Linda shows her desire to share her knowledge and work as a volunteer in Cabo Corrientes and Puerto Vallarta, which will leave more than just a community legacy, but also a print in the heart of many. « Guía de diversión en Vallarta / What to Do in Vallarta »
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