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Ileana Rivera Santa greets us with a bright morning smile. Behind her is a dining table with some books and a forgotten coffee cup. When she learns that we are going to record the interview, Ileana gets up and swiftly moves a carved wooden screen, transforming her dining room into a magical stage. The curtain rises.

"My first passion was theater."

Upon entering the University in Rio Piedras in Puerto Rico, Ileana thought she would follow in her father's footsteps, who was a tireless social worker for the Department of Veterans Affairs. But the stage won this battle. Ileana started taking elective courses in drama and trained as an actress and theater director.

"The truth is, no one else in my family followed this path. They feared that I wouldn’t be able to pursue a formal career." However, driven by faith, passion, and dedication to the arts, Ileana paved her own way with every opportunity that came her way. "The Ana G. Méndez University was a pioneer in television classes, so I started as an actress in the English 101 series, which was very funny and well-received."

At the end of the season, the production director offered her the opportunity to produce the series. Despite her limited experience, Ileana dived headfirst into the role. As is often the case in communication and acting careers, one must assume multiple roles and responsibilities. That year, Ileana worked as a producer and actress on a television series and an actress and lighting technician in the theatrical play "La verdadera historia de Pedro Navaja," based on the song by Rubén Blades.

"If you follow your passion, dedication, and desire to contribute to your community, life presents you with opportunities."

Ileana started working at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP), which since its inception in 1955, has sought to rescue, promote, and disseminate Puerto Rican culture. There she directed the cultural centers' program, and her performance quickly caught the attention of the director. In a short time, Ileana became the special assistant to the ICP director. There, she had the opportunity to promote the institution's role and mission. Being part of the board of directors of WIPR, the public television network in Puerto Rico, Ileana used cameras and equipment to produce a series that fulfilled those objectives.

Always seeking to expand her knowledge, Ileana trained at WGBH-Boston to learn how to create Closed Captions. It was then that WIPR offered her a position in developing accessibility for the channel. Through this experience, Ileana learned about the work of Dicapta (Closed Caption Latina at the time).

"We met each other and immediately recognized how we could work towards a community that had been somewhat neglected, even though a law had already been enacted requiring a certain number of accessible hours, especially in children's programming." Ileana learned a lot about the needs of this community through her training at WGBH and as part of the advisory group of Dicapta. "It makes no sense to provide a service without knowing where they need support."

While working with WIPR, an opportunity arose for them to participate in a project funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting aimed at developing an organization that provides services to Hispanic radio stations in the United States and Puerto Rico. In this context, Ileana joined the project's board of directors called the Latino Public Radio Consortium. Over time, the need to offer more direct services to communities emerged, resulting in an offer for Ileana to move to the United States and work in the specialized care area for Latin radio stations. There she took on the role of Director of Services for Latin stations, which was fascinating due to her contact with different Hispanic communities in the United States.

“ That gave me experiences that can't be replicated in any other way. I mean, you're meeting so many different people, but they all have a common goal, which is truly contributing to the community they are serving."

We asked Ileana what fills her with pride about the many roles she has played...

"I think what makes me most proud is that even when I have moved from one organization to another, I have maintained beautiful ongoing relationships with each of the organizations I have worked with and with the different groups. I'm proud that I have been able to establish something that allows a particular project, whether it's theater, radio, or television, to continue..."

And that's Ileana, the curious and avid reader who was portrayed in the school newspaper as the student who had borrowed the most books from the library, the tireless worker always seeking to make an impact and break stereotypes about the Latino community, the proud mother of a son whom she considers the most wonderful and extraordinary gift; Ileana continues to observe, listen with curiosity, and learn from all the new and classic trends. Because for Ileana, art is in service of growth and education.