Mirta Gabriela Perez is the first Paraguayan Indigenous woman to complete a Master’s Degree in an English-speaking country.
Raised in a small indigenous community in rural Paraguay, Mirta arrived at Providence in 2015 with a BA in Theology from the Evangelical University of Paraguay. Having grown up bi-lingual (Nivaclé/ Spanish), her goal was to add English and complete an MA in Educational Studies at Providence Theological Seminary. In just over three years, Mirta completed her program of study and added a Graduate Certificate in TESOL.
Throughout her studies at Providence, Mirta maintained strong ties with her Nivaclé community back home. She has now returned to her Paraguayan community and teaches in a high school with students from at least six Indigenous language backgrounds. Her goal is “to search for something new to learn every day.” She hopes to pursue doctoral studies sometime in the future, but for now she is dedicated to serving her community.
Mirta was recently featured in the Paraguayan paper La Nación. To read more of her story, click here.
