Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Frade.
Hi Ana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born Ana Maria Frade Perez in Cuba. As a kid at school, everybody called me just “Ana Frade.” I always liked the sound of my first last name. It was a source of pride for me, as I grew up listening to great stories of my father’s family, and because it was uncommon in my country. Perez, on the other hand, was the most common last name, so despite all the love I have for my mother, it felt good just going by my father’s last name. Many years later, when I became an American citizen, I chose to legally change my name “Ana Frade.” I think behind that decision lies an attempt to reconnect with a part of my life that was full of confidence and boldness. It was my “winning name.”
Even though my family was not affluent, I had one great privilege: my parents fed my innate sense of curiosity and encouraged me to learn and read. I read voraciously. I regard a privileged upbringing to be one that is filled with curiosity. I didn’t realize at that moment all the hiccups and challenges we were facing. I worked hard in school and finished with great accomplishments.
I was a natural student, still am. I’ve always loved reading, writing papers, and studying for tests. I had a high GPA in high school, and graduated with honors from a top university, but never stopped to truly consider what I was passionate about. Instead, I dived right into what I thought was expected of me, Engineering, knowing that it would give me a degree of validation and certainty about what my future would look like. So, when I graduated high school, I decided to major in Electrical Engineering, and went to Moscow with a scholarship. My alma mater offered a 5-year BS/MS program, and by the time I graduated, I got both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.
However, life had other plans for me. As soon as I graduated, I had to emigrate to another country, and start my life from scratch. In Spain, I had to learn a new expertise and left behind my engineering background. In that moment, I got a feeling of failure that would take years to overcome. I thought it was an irreparable loss to work in a different area as your degree. There is an expression that says: “opportunities arrive for those that are prepared for them” and I believe that is true. Being prepared means you have either the skills or the mindset. I see clearly now that college is important to prepare your mind to take on difficult tasks. No matter what you choose to do later, that training will be key to your further development. Your life is full of opportunities, many of them not even close to what you studied at college. Just keep your eyes open for opportunities.
In Spain, my professional life encompassed many fields and career paths, including translations, export and import, and entrepreneurship. I moved to the United States nine years ago, and once again rebuilt my life in Houston from the ground up.
I look back and I see a zig-zag career path across a thread to arrive at my true purpose, which is doing something meaningful that impacts others’ life.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to have lived in different countries. It not only changes your perspective, but re-shapes your personality as well. It also forces you to learn new languages. I believe languages help connect with people and truly become part of the many cultures you encounter. I’m fluent in Spanish, Russian and English, and have basic knowledge of German and Catalan.
I’m involved in volunteer leadership roles in my community. I served as Secretary & Event Committee chair of the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston, and currently serve as the President of La Casa de España en Houston. I was the 2020-2021 Chair of the Latino Caucus Round Table of The Texas Library Association.
I consider every place I’ve lived a part of me. I think my story is that of an ordinary person who finds herself on an extraordinary journey. A journey in constant evolution.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Much of my childhood was spent listening to the sound of “striving.” My father would say to me “you will go a long way” and my mother “Do good regardless of who.” In some way, my life has been molded into one that stands on those two principles, which can be summed up in hard work, striving for excellence making people’s lives better. That implies facing a lot of personal challenges. Immigrants face other challenges such as adapting to life in America, including the language barrier and the feeling of loneliness. Both are overcome with effort, dedication and love. I think the simplest way to overcome obstacles and challenges is to be able to adapt to the changes fast enough. I kept doing it repeatedly.
Challenges usually seem like inconveniences, but they can be beneficial as well. Change is the only constant in life” is a famous saying by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, so we better get ready to face them. The truth is, with the right mental attitude we can completely re-frame the way we experience challenges and changes.
We are currently going through a once-in-a-lifetime global crisis of unknown proportions. The Covid-19 pandemic has given us a lot of reasons why we could be pessimistic and fearful about the future. The Russian invasion of Ukraine creates a painful humanitarian crisis and could have economic repercussions globally and in the United States. But history has taught us that we have an ability as human beings to come out of every crisis stronger than ever.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work for the City of Houston as the International Services Engagement and Outreach Coordinator at the Houston Public Library. In this capacity, I work to build understanding across community members of all ages and backgrounds and enhance social cohesion across the city of Houston.
As I said earlier, I never stopped to truly consider which job could be truly life changing for me until I came to work at the Houston Public Library. The library provided me a way to combine my love for helping others with my passion for building a strong community. I believe in the power of coming together toward a unique goal. Working with Houston’s communities has given me the possibility of doing something meaningful that can impact people’s life in so many ways.
We aim to create welcoming environments for newcomers in Houston. We serve these communities through programs and services, increasing the diversity in the collection, and developing cultural programs oriented to understand and respect these cultures. It is our goal to create safe community spaces where we can come together as a community to have meaningful conversations and learn from one another.
It’s a valuable exchange that benefits both newcomers and long-term residents.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Mentorship takes many different forms, there is no rule on who can be a mentor. Many of the professional relationships I have developed throughout my career have spontaneously served as mentors without them even knowing they were mentoring me. It can be as simple as a conversation with someone who gave you an insight that influenced your career.
I am fortunate to have had relatives, teachers, friends, and colleagues that help me get to where I am today. Right at the beginning of elementary school, my teachers saw potential in me and constantly expanded my horizons. I still remember my fourth-grade teacher providing new books and extra reading materials, and always pushing me to think bigger. I had college professors who believed in me and encouraged me to pursue higher standards. My family believes in me even when I am not able to believe in myself.
Mentors are important if you want to advance your career. Find someone you admire, who can serve as a role model and guide you effectively. The right mentor will take an active interest in your growth and success. I am also a big believer in being a mentor yourself, assisting others in reaching their goals and success. You’re never too young or too old to have or to be a mentor. It only takes an interest in your success and the success and well-being of others.
Contact Info:
- Email: annafrade@gmail.com
- Website: www.anafrade.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ana.frade/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/annafrade
- Other: https://cdehouston.org/directiva
Image Credits
Ana Frade
Laurence Unger
