As we approach the holiday season, we are reminded of how much we value and appreciate our TEAMBOOST partners. So to say THANK YOU to our incredible community we will be spotlighting our BOOST Bloggers, Ambassadors, and Leadership Team members weekly through the end of December.
Today, we are continuing our BOOST Gratitude Blog Series with 10 things you didn’t know about Ana Danielson, BOOST Ambassador since 2021!
- I love reading Latin American Literature in Spanish. Rosario Castellanos is one of my favorite authors. Her books capture the social dynamics of rural Mexico and the imagery allows readers to transport themselves to a different time and place. Currently, I’m reading a young adult novel by Juan Villoro, “El libro Salvaje” and illustrated by Gabriel Martínez Meave.
- I first started my work in OST in Mammoth Lakes, CA. I was fresh out of graduate school and working part-time as a lecturer at a community college. I loved working at the middle school after school program, it was refreshing and fun to be around tweens and teens. Over the years it has been a gift to see the students blossom into adults, have their own children, and still be connected to the community where they were raised.
I love traveling and living abroad!! Prior to the COVID pandemic I spent a year teaching Merida, Yucatán, México. The language school I worked at focused on teaching language through literature and the arts. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to grow as an individual and as a teacher. - I have two adorable dogs! Freeda, an 11-year-old lab mix, and Gaucho, a 6-year-old kelpie mix. They were both adopted from the same shelter and bring smiles to my face each time I look at them. They keep me active and light-hearted!
- Popcorn, popcorn, popcorn!! That is my guilty pleasure. I love to pop a bowl on the stove, add some salt or mushroom powder and chow down the whole bowl-moring, afternoon or evening!
- One of my greatest accomplishments was climbing Cotopaxi, a 19,347 mountain in Ecuador. I climbed the peak with no former big mountain hikes or climbs in 1999. It was an incredible experience that began with a challenge from our soon-to-be guide to hiking a 15,000 peak to acclimate. If we could make the journey to the mountain and hike it all in one day, he would guide us on Cotopaxi.
- Working from home over the last year or more, my go-to lunch has become a “refrigerator salad”. I have added just about anything and everything to spinach, lettuce, or kale to create unique salads. Sometimes I add leftovers, other times I add fruit, quinoa, cheese, pickled vegetables, etc.
- My favorite outdoor activities include hiking, camping, mountain bike riding, snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and running.
- I am learning to surf and I’m quite sure it will take me the rest of my life to feel comfortable in the ocean and on a surfboard, but I’m determined!
- If you really knew me, you would know that I a spontaneous and love change!! I think change brings opportunities and new challenges that create memorable experiences.
For breakfast today, I had Sourdough toast with hummus and coffee with cinnamon oil.
From all of us here at TEAMBOOST, thank you, Ana, for being part of our Ambassador team and for sharing your leadership with us!