UB Around the Globe
Category: Alumni
Behind De Guzman, Quito and the surrounding hills are visible from El Panecillo, where visitors can take in “the best view in all of Quito,” she says.
Native Ecuadorian Alexandra De Guzman, M.S. ’93, admits she experienced some culture shock when she moved from Quito, the country’s capital, to the United States in 1990 to finish her schooling. Nestled in the Andes Mountains, Quito sits more than 9,000 feet above sea level; at the Inner Harbor, Baltimore has zero elevation. Baltimore’s climate is temperate; Quito’s weather is desert-like, with “very sunny days and very cold nights,” De Guzman says. Baltimore’s local delicacy is blue crabs. In Quito? Guinea pig—although De Guzman doesn’t partake. “I like soups—and ceviche,” she says.
Back in her homeland since 1993, De Guzman teaches negotiation and human resources management at Universidad de Las Américas while raising her teenaged daughter and son. She also finds time to enjoy fabulous vistas like the one from El Panecillo, a mountain capped with a statue of the Virgin Mary that offers “the best view in all of Quito,” she raves. And, of course, there are the Galapagos Islands: “Ecuadorians call them the enchanted islands. … They are a treasure … nature at its very best,” she says.
She is happy to be in her homeland with her family, but occasionally wanderlust strikes: “I love traveling,” she says. “I want to go to Dubai (United Arab Emirates). And to Australia, to see the kangaroos.”
Have you traveled abroad recently and snapped a photo of yourself wearing your UB gear? Send your photos to the UB Office of Alumni Relations, 1130 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201 or via email. (And next time you head overseas, don’t forget to wear your UB apparel.)
