Growing up in Costa Rica with my sister, I invented games and songs for us to play—games she still remembers and teaches to her own kids today.
I didn't know it then, but I was already an instructional designer.
From Teacher to Designer
I have a Bachelor's in Education, and while I enjoyed teaching, I kept gravitating toward something else: designing the tools and materials that made teaching easier.
Colleagues asked me to create resources for their classes. I volunteered to develop materials for teachers in low-income schools. Professors praised my creative lesson designs.
I just didn't realize 'instructional designer' was a career until later, but once I did, my path became clear.
The journey from there to here:
Started as an English teacher in Costa Rica, developing a specialized curriculum for computer science students
Moved into educational technology, designing gaming platforms for language learning
Transitioned to corporate L&D, creating programs for healthcare professionals and technical teams
Now: Full-time instructional designer focused on bilingual, accessible learning experiences
What drives my work:
As a bilingual, bicultural professional, I've always seen how "one-size-fits-all" fails. Good learning design requires understanding:
My approach:
Start with research, not assumptions
Measure what matters (application, not completion)
Iterate based on data