
Then I went to my high school at Nicolas Esguerra and I graduated in 1978. The elementary school I attended was called San Pedro Claver, which I graduated from in 1971. We were not well-off but we had support to find good schools. My parents always forced my siblings and I to study. His hard work landed him to become the director for buildings that are landmarks in Bogota. My father worked in construction and he was a dedicated and talented worker. My siblings and I helped do house chores while my mother worked at home making sweaters for students on the knitting machine. My experience at Maria Auxiliadora School was my first experience as a young student where I learned values and academics.

Since our community was newly built, a new elementary school was implemented for all the kids to attend. Our neighborhood was a strong community, and to this day I still keep in touch with all of them. We developed lovely relationships with our neighbors and became one big family. My dad helped direct the construction of the houses since he had that knowledge and experience. When I was a child I grew up in a new neighborhood where people just started to construct their houses.

My parents gave us the best life they could with lots of love and values. I grew up with my two parents, my father Manuel, my mother Mercedes, and my three siblings Elena, Francisco, and Esperanza. My name is Ana Cecilia Riaño and I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia.
