We recently connected with Karla Ortega and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Karla, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe my resilience comes from a combination of family, purpose, and experience. Growing up and later working with multilingual families and students taught me that strength often comes from navigating challenges with compassion and creativity. As a teacher for nearly 20 years, I saw firsthand how empathy and perseverance can transform lives, especially when language or circumstances create barriers.
My children also inspire a lot of my resilience. Watching my son and my daughter create art so freely reminds me to stay open, curious, and to keep finding beauty in the process, even when things don’t go as planned.
And in my work now, whether it’s supporting the Hispanic community through the Hispanic Alliance or running my small hand-painted bottles business, resilience comes from connection. I’ve learned that when you believe deeply in what you’re doing and the people you’re doing it for, you always find a way forward.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My story really centers around connection between cultures, languages, and people. I spent almost 20 years as an educator, and those experiences with multilingual students and families taught me that empathy is one of the most powerful tools we have. Today, I get to continue that mission through my work with the Student DREAMers Alliance (SDA), a leadership program that helps immigrant and first-generation students discover their voices and realize they have the power to create change.
My story has always been about connection between languages, cultures, and people. I spent almost two decades as an educator, and through that time, I learned that the most meaningful impact comes from empathy and relationships. Working closely with multilingual students and families taught me that behind every story there’s courage, hope, and so much resilience.
Today, I get to continue that mission through my work with the Student DREAMers Alliance (SDA), a leadership program that empowers immigrant and first-generation students to embrace their identities, share their stories, and become agents of change in their communities. Watching these young leaders find their voice and realize that their story matters, is the most rewarding part of what I do. It’s a reminder that change begins when someone feels seen and heard.
Outside of SDA, I also run a small hand-painted bottles business, where I transform recycled bottles into colorful, one-of-a-kind pieces of art. It started as a personal hobby and has grown into something that connects me with my community in a different, but equally meaningful, way. My two children, Gabo and Cayo, are both artists themselves and often paint alongside me. Their creativity inspires me daily and reminds me that beauty can emerge from anything, even something as simple as a bottle that might have been thrown away.
Right now, I’m focused on continuing to expand the SDA program’s reach and sharing my art at more local markets and cultural spaces here in Charleston. For me, both worlds education and art come down to the same thing: storytelling. Whether it’s through paint or people, I want to help others see the value, strength, and beauty in their own stories.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities that have shaped my journey are empathy, adaptability, and creativity.
Empathy helps you truly connect with people, to listen beyond words and understand their stories. My advice is to slow down, listen with curiosity, and see every interaction as a chance to learn, not fix.
Adaptability has carried me through every change in my career. Things rarely go as planned, but growth happens in the unexpected. Be open to learning, pivot quickly, and don’t let fear of the unknown stop you.
And creativity keeps everything alive whether in art, education, or community work. It’s not just about making things; it’s about seeing possibilities. My advice: let yourself play, explore, and make mistakes. Creativity thrives when you give yourself permission to be curious.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Without a doubt, my biggest supporters have been my family. My husband, Patrick, has been my number one fan, constant encourager, and steady believer, even in the moments when I doubted myself. He reminds me that every new challenge is just another opportunity to grow, and his faith in me has been the foundation of so much of what I’ve accomplished.
And then there are my kids, my little hype team! They tell everyone I’m “the best mom, cook, artist, drawer, and painter,” and honestly, that kind of pure, joyful belief keeps me going. Their enthusiasm reminds me to see the world through their eyes, full of color, imagination, and possibility.
They’re the reason I stay creative, grounded, and resilient. Every time I paint, work on the SDA program, or take on something new, I know I’m also showing them what it looks like to chase your purpose with heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karlas-custom-creations.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karla.custom.creations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karla.custom.creations
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karla-ortega-buelvas-228988235/
Image Credits
My portrait was taken by the City of Greenville Instagram Account
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
