Tia Belén

Almost anywhere you may go in Maracaibo - and even in Florida - with your Tia Belén, you will have to stop and greet students, ex-students or parents of students. Belén has been teaching at San Vicente de Paúl in Maracaibo for over 50 years. This may be her last year as a 2nd grade teacher, but then she's said that before.

Belén was born as Ana Ismery Salas on January 16, 1934 in the Santa Lucia parrish of Maracaibo. She studied in the Colegio Zarragoza, which was located where the Costa Verde shopping mall is now, until 5th grade. Then she attended 6th grade and the Commercial program at the Colegio Sucre. She later took courses to be a "normalista", taking the education credits needed to be an elementary teacher. She has been teaching in San Vicente since 1956.

Belén has been a part of the Soto - and later the Morillo - family since she was a young girl. She has always travelled with the groups from Miami Travel and chaparoned groups to Europe and Orlando.

Even though she has other nieces and grandnieces, Belén was anxious to meet you, and so took a few days off from her teaching to come up and visit us here in Savanna. You first met on June 22, 2009, and had an extended conversation. She will certainly be waiting to continue that relationship, hear more of your stories and tell you a few of her own, when we return to Maracaibo.