Maria Arcelina Santiago

She was born in Macau, but left at a young age, traveling to various places: Timor, India, Mozambique, Angola, and Portugal were some of them. She also lived in many cities: Viana do Castelo, Nova Lisboa, Lisbon, Porto, and currently in Monção. From all these places, she learned a great deal and, recognizing the importance of these experiences, still considers herself a lifelong learner. On these travels, she experienced departures with immense sadness, but arriving in a new place brought her back the light and joy of making new friends. Very curious and imaginative, she dreamed of these and other places and constantly invented stories to tell her sister. As a mother, she encouraged her children to dramatize stories she created to liven up family evenings during festive seasons. As a grandmother, she created and continues to create magical stories to present at her granddaughters' school. She gets emotional when the little ones call her "Grandma Bé," and her granddaughter Leonor explains so well why that's her name, and not Arcelina. Throughout the year, she schedules reading sessions in a school setting. As a teacher, she always promoted a love of reading and its importance in life, saying: "With books, we embark on amazing journeys!" She always invested in her own education throughout her life because, as she often says, "knowledge takes up no space and makes us more of a 'Person'." Therefore, in addition to a degree in Germanic Philology from the University of Porto, she completed postgraduate studies in Personal and Social Development at the University of Aveiro, where she also obtained a Master's degree in Social, Political and Legal Sciences – with research on gender issues. A teacher of Portuguese and English in primary, secondary and higher education schools, she was also a trainer, pedagogical advisor, and director of a school training center. She accumulated multiple experiences, lived with a passion for teaching and enthusiasm for the projects she organized. Now, she likes to recount them in chronicles that are nothing more than very rich memories. She belongs to several Associations and Foundations, of a cultural and civic nature, in defense of Lusophony - the language of Camões, with great expression throughout the world - and also in defense of Human Rights, which makes her a cultural and citizenship activist.