[email protected]

What country were you born in, and how long have you lived in Cleveland? 

I was born in Slovenia and lived there till graduated from Law University with mayor International Law.  After graduation and successfully passed exams, I was immediately admitted to the diplomatic service. My first post was far away from home, in Canada (Toronto), but later I served mainly in European countries (Croatia, The Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland) and in between did a professional upgrade at Diplomatic Academy in Spain. As the first woman who served ever as Consul General in Cleveland,  I proudly took over the position on August 1, 2019.   

• So – even though I was born, raised, and educated in Slovenia and to Slovenian parents, I feel and think, together with my family, like European and global citizens.

The pioneers and supporters of International Women’s Day believe that “from challenges come change.” What has been the largest challenge in your journey toward personal success? 

My biggest challenges were two and are closely connected. The first challenge was related to my professional career. In all decades of hard work and diligence, at the time predominantly “male profession,” I had to prove myself over and over again that I, as a woman, deserve to be at the top – in my case – the head of the government representative office. But without continued and strong support from my family, this would not be possible. 

The second challenge was personal that, being a woman, in addition to a demanding job and a considerable absence from home, I needed and wanted to be equally involved and committed to fulfill another responsible task – being a mother and a wife. However, with good coordination, goodwill and understanding everything is possible. 

You have been nominated for this recognition by another amazing person, proving that we are so much stronger when we support one another. What is one piece of advice you have for women in your community and all over the world?  

My advice to all women, based on my own experience: listen to yourself and dare to follow your dream.  Nothing is impossible. Not even to change the world – if you want to.  And remember, women, benefit from the collaboration over competition. So – work together! Go out, create connections, based on shared interests and goals! This way you will be stronger, more visible, and heard, as well as smarter. And do not forget a common benefit. I am strongly convinced, that good is always rewarded with good.  

How can the greater Cleveland community encourage, support, and amplify the success of international women? 

I did a little research….. It seems, that Cleveland was quite in favor of supporting capable women – Ruby Dee, actress, and civil rights advocate, Halle Berry, the first woman of African descent in the US to win an Oscar for best actress, Muriel Siebert, the first woman to become a member of the New York Stock Exchange, Florence Allen, the first woman appointed and confirmed to a federal appeals court judgeship and I can go on and on. 

I am convinced, that all communities and societies in the world should much more encourage and support women in general, not only the successful ones.  Especially those, involved in leadership and decision-making. Sadly, but today, women remain underrepresented in the highest political positions. As of 2020, women only hold around 25% of seats in national parliaments and account for less than 7% of the world’s leaders. 

And what can you do to improve women position in the world: teach girls their worth and that they are strong, capable and deserve the same respect as boys; discuss openly and call out stereotypical notions of gender and discrimination; speak out against sexism and harassment at home as well at work; demand the end of discriminatory practices and a progressive work environment through the equal representation of women in leadership and boardrooms, as well as equal pay for work of equal value and education courses on gender equality and take other simple actions – challenge stereotype beauty standards; respect the choices of others about their body, well-being, family and future and encourage men to share home household and parental responsibilities. 

How long have you lived in Cleveland? 

I was born in Russia, have lived in the USA for 18 years, 17 of them in Cleveland. 

What has been the largest challenge in your journey toward personal success? 

Low self-esteem, doubts will I be able to adapt and advance as a person and professional in a different country, lifestyle, job… It has also been challenging to maintain a work-family balance.  

What is one piece of advice you have for women in your community and all over the world?  

Continuously learn (new languages, cultures, areas of expertise,…), connect and communicate with others, be physically active, travel as much and as far as possible, and most importantly – believe in yourself! All of this will make you stronger, healthier, wiser, and more successful.
 

How can the greater Cleveland community encourage, support, and amplify the success of international women? 

Do what Global Cleveland does: keep everyone informed about economic, political, social news and events, organize international meetings/classes/sports events/celebrations/network groups – so everyone can learn from each other and not be afraid of our differences. 

I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My dad is a first-generation Argentinian, as my grandparents emigrated from Russia and Poland. My mom is from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. I moved to Cleveland from Barcelona in April 2017.  

The pioneers and supporters of International Women’s Day believe that “from challenges come change.” What has been the largest challenge in your journey toward personal success? 

 The hardest challenge was moving to different countries with different languages and cultures, which meant having to be flexible and adaptable just to survive. Yet, that ability becomes a strength when you work in something that changes as quickly as technology does.  

You have been nominated for this recognition by another amazing person, proving that we are so much stronger when we support one another. What is one piece of advice you have for women in your community and all over the world?  

I love how we are debunking the myth that women don’t support women; we are stronger together. My piece of advice is to look and go beyond the scope of those around you. We often limit ourselves because we frame our lives within specific circumstances. I believe those who have some level of opportunity must work towards disrupting myths and collective growth.  

How can the greater Cleveland community encourage, support, and amplify the success of international women?  

I think more people are recognizing the advantages of welcoming and supporting foreigners, leading to a powerful transformation. Cities that have successfully fostered and integrated International Newcomer talent put themselves in a different league. I feel that the Cleveland community is uniquely supportive and willing to collaborate. I believe if Cleveland stays true to this essence, we’ll only have positive returns. 

What has been the largest challenge in your journey toward personal success?  

I think the largest challenge we all face is the mental barriers we grow up with. Neither my family nor the society that I grew up in expected me, as a girl, to become a leading professional. And yet I always wanted to lead. The challenge was that my mother had chosen to stay home and the successful women that I encountered early in my career at the United Nations were either single or childless. I had no road map for how to successfully balance family and career. Moving to Cleveland, I decided to let go of expectations and just figure it out. That decision has very much been a personal success. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has painfully doubled the pressures of balancing a family and a career. My hope is that, from this challenge, we will start to change how we choose to support working parents. 

 What is one piece of advice you have for women in your community and all over the world?   

 I would tell women, here and globally, to confidently believe in their own power. I saw this working for the United Nations: women across the globe are ending conflicts, building better communities, and demanding to be treated with equal respect and dignity. In fact, the United Nations has made women’s empowerment a cornerstone of its global action. Because it’s the right thing to do. And because women across the globe are such powerful agents for positive change. Women should believe in their intrinsic value and in the value that they add to society. When you value yourself, it makes it harder for others to not show you respect. 

 How can the greater Cleveland community encourage, support, and amplify the success of international women?  

 I find the Cleveland community to be – rightfully – very proud of its International Newcomer heritage and welcoming to more recent International Newcomers. I would hope that the Cleveland community would be a bit more forward-looking in supporting the role of international women – and men. This pandemic has shown us how globalized our reality is, and global trends (climate change, Migration, other pandemics) will likely impact us more in the future. The international community in Cleveland is helping connect Cleveland to the rest of the world and could do so even more going forward. Global connections will help fuel Cleveland’s growth and vitality. Greater global awareness in the Cleveland community could amplify the success of international women (and men) and enhance Cleveland’s success in general. 

The pioneers and supporters of International Women’s Day believe that “from challenges come change.”: What has been the largest challenge in your journey toward personal success? 

The largest challenge in my journey toward professional success was definitely having to learn the road on my own. Both of my parents did not complete high school, as my mother was raised in the West Bank in Palestine and my father in Caracas, Venezuela. Both of their journeys did not afford them the ability to continue their education. My parents’ journey to the United States is one like many International Newcomers: for a better future for their children. My parents came to the United States with young infants and continued to grow their families while working entry-level jobs to make ends meet. When I graduated high school and knew I wanted to go to college, while my parents were excited that I am choosing a path of options and growth, they weren’t able to help guide me through it. Oftentimes in my professional journey, I have met wonderful people who became part of my professional network- but most of them had parents who helped them build connections, introduced them to professionals in their interested field of work, or connected them to internship opportunities gain experience. My parents didn’t have these experiences or connections to be able to pass them along to me. Building my own connections, branding myself all by myself with my own wit, personality, know-how, and pushing myself to build confidence to not be afraid of what downfalls may arise by not knowing anyone to help me navigate, helped me truly grow even stronger as a person. 

You have been nominated for this recognition by another amazing person, proving that we are so much stronger when we support one another. What is one piece of advice you have for women in your community and all over the world?  

My advice to women in our community and across the world is to define your success on your own terms: be your true self and amplify women around you who are on similar paths toward their success. We will never meet everyone’s standards, and another person’s standards may not be our own- but, don’t sell yourself short or let others affect your confidence. Live your own life, follow your passion, and lift other women’s long the way because you never know who wouldn’t be where they are today without your help. We, women, bloom better with one another. 

How can the greater Cleveland community encourage, support, and amplify the success of international women? 

In a world where women still face bias and other barriers at work, on top of bearing the disproportionate burden of the COVID-19 pandemic – having a safe space for women to share their struggles, give and get advice, and celebrate each other’s wins, has never been more important. Allowing for diverse women from various backgrounds to have the mic and platform to lead discussions, make decisions for their own community, lead in innovation that otherwise may not be heard- is something I hope Greater Cleveland can do more of to simply and support international women in all forms. Displaced Personss, International Newcomers, to second-generation women hold beauty and knowledge from their rich background that holds so much power and benefit to the communities they work in and serve.