Story & Lesson Highlights with Gloria Baena of Miami Dade County area

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Gloria Baena. Check out our conversation below.

Gloria, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
The three are deeply connected, and I believe one cannot truly exist without the others. Intelligence allows us to make thoughtful choices, integrity guides those choices toward what is right, and energy gives us the strength and enthusiasm to bring them to life with a positive attitude. Together, they create balance — thinking clearly, acting ethically, and living with purpose.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Gloria Baena, Colombian; teacher with over 30 years of experience, writer and, creator of Vocalina, an educational program designed to bring Spanish closer to children in a magical, playful, and meaningful way. Through enchanting stories starring the fairy Vocalina and her friends, we help children discover reading and fall in love with words.
What makes Vocalina unique is its human and creative approach — we combine art, pedagogy, and science to spark curiosity, strengthen phonological awareness, and create an emotional connection with language learning.
This project has grown over time thanks to the enthusiasm of families and educators who have found in it a joyful and purposeful way to teach. Today, we continue working to share the magic of Vocalina with more communities and to train ambassadors who bring this transformative experience to children around the world.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that has most influenced the way I see myself is the one I had with my father. He was the person who taught me to believe in myself, to pursue what I truly love, and to always give my best. From him, I learned that falling down is part of growing, and that standing up again—with authenticity and courage—is what truly defines us.
My father believed deeply in my vocation and in my creative spirit. He saw potential in me long before I did, and his confidence became the foundation of my own. Thanks to his guidance and example, I learned to value effort, passion, and being genuine in everything I do.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I moved from Cali to Bogotá with my two children, right after my divorce. I left behind everything familiar, without a support network or family nearby, but I carried a clear purpose — to rebuild our lives with strength and love. The pain was real, yet I chose to transform it into determination. Each day, I reminded myself that our story was just beginning, not ending. I learned to create a home from uncertainty and to show my children that pain can become power when we face it with courage. That chapter became the foundation of a stronger, more authentic version of myself — one who leads with resilience, hope, and heart.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say that what truly matters to me is my family and my calling to teach. I give myself wholeheartedly to the people I love and to the work I believe in. My family has always been my greatest source of strength, where I learn, give, and receive unconditional support. At the same time, my role as an educator remains my greatest passion; I feel that my mission to inspire, guide, and teach others is far from over and continues to give purpose to everything I do.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am doing what I was born to do. Teaching is not just my profession—it is my purpose. Helping children learn to read and discover the beauty of language fills my heart with meaning. Every time a child begins to understand a word or a story, I feel that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

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