Beatriz Varela | Office Administrator

I grew up in a small town outside of the city of Chihuahua, México, and traveled back and forth to the U.S. as a kid until my family moved to Arizona when I was in high school.

In my sophomore year of college, I decided to study abroad in Rome, Italy. Going home after that semester was hard, and I couldn’t wait for the next opportunity for adventure! Less than a year later, my best friend was studying in Beijing, China, and I didn’t think twice about going to visit. That experience inspired me to want to learn Mandarin, so I made a plan to return to China for my last semester of college, this time in Shanghai.

I spent the next 3 years studying and teaching in Taiwan, then Hong Kong, and finally back in Shanghai again. I now live in Chicago with my partner and two cats.

I grew up in Chihuahua, México, and moved to Arizona in high school. I went to Arizona State University and completed my M.Ed. at Northern Arizona University.

Mexico, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Cambodia, Thailand, India, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia.

I studied in Italy and China and lived in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.

When I was traveling in Indonesia, I had the opportunity to visit Mt. Ijen, a volcano in East Java famous for its iconic “blue flame.” To see it, we woke up at midnight to travel from a small nearby town, climbed the volcano and down into the crater in the dark, and wore gas masks to protect us from the sulfur fumes when we got close. The blue flame was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. As the sun came up, we hiked out to see the beautiful lake in the crater and learn about the sulfur mining operations in the area. It felt like we were on another planet and was truly an amazing experience!

I love a variety of Chinese cuisines, especially dishes from the Northwestern, Northeastern, and Southern regions of China and Hong Kong!

I’m very excited to work for a company that helps others experience the world around them while teaching English.