NewGate Logo v4
Carmen

Carmen Meckman



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear  

 

We are writing today to introduce the newest member of the NewGate staff, Carmen Meckman, who will be our new Receptionist and Administrative Assistant. Among her gifts, Carmen is fluent in Spanish, French, and English. 

 

We asked Carmen to share some of her background with the school community: 

 

"My name is Maria del Carmen Meckman, but most people call me Carmen. I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, a city very high in the Andes mountains of South America. Quito is located a few miles south of the Equator (Linea Equinoccial). There is a precise demarcation and monument, where you can stand with one foot in the Northern and one in the Southern hemispheres. I attended primary and secondary school at a French nun's school and then went to a public university for Business Administration.

 

In the late 60's I came to Washington, D.C. and worked for the Inter-American Development bank for 5 years. I got married in D.C. and moved to New York City where my daughter was born. A few years later we moved to Old Greenwich, Connecticut where my son was born.  

 

Our family's big adventures started when we moved to Paris, France for my husband's job and our life as expatriates began. A few years later we moved to Germany, followed by Luxembourg, then to Holland, and finally back to France, where my children graduated from high school.  

 

They came back to the US for college and we stayed in France for a few more years. It was not easy to be separated by 3,000 miles and a big ocean, so we decided to come back to the US and settled in Sarasota, Florida.

 

I enjoy yoga, listening to music, hiking, walking on the beach, swimming, dancing, and cooking. I love painting and exhibited my art at Towles Court in Sarasota for 4 years at Beverly Fleming's Gallery on Adams Lane.

 

Here are some memorable moments and activities in my life:

 

  1. The first time I saw the crater of the Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world, I was 12 years old in Ecuador. Since I was a child, I did a lot of mountain climbing but this was truly special for me.

 

  1. I am the third of four children, two girls and two boys. My oldest sister and her family live in Madison, Wisconsin. My two brothers and their families live in Ecuador.

 

  1. While living in Europe I did not have a work permit in each country, so I participated as much as possible in my children's schools. I took on several roles such as a parent representative, participating on various school boards, and volunteering as a librarian and chaperone. Later, I was a volunteer English teacher for middle school students in a small village in France.

 

  1. I studied art in France, Luxembourg, and Holland. In Paris, I attended evening classes with teachers of the school of Beaux Arts, in Luxembourg with a private teacher, and in Holland with an art group and an instructor.

 

  1. Languages were always intriguing to me, and living in different countries gave me an opportunity to have a hands-on learning experience. It was very beneficial for my family and myself to learn the language of the country we lived in.

 

  1. In Paris I took an Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) class, which I loved. Presently I'm taking an online Floral Design course which includes Ikebana and much more.

 

  1. I have a 9 year old grandson who loves nature and knows a lot about animals in different continents. He hopes to go and visit Africa one day. We enjoy very much walking on the beach, and looking at pelicans together."

 

Please join with us in welcoming Carmen to NewGate.

 

Her email is carmenmeckman@newgate.edu

 

Sincerely,

 

 Tim's signature

Tim Seldin

Head of School