Cape Verde's consul general finds balance between personal, work life
Anice Barbosa
Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: News
Mascarenhas, 46, said she feels there is more that she can do.
"I don't think I have achieved self-satisfaction," she said. "I feel that there is so much more that I can do for Cape Verde and Cape Verdeans in general."
When Mascarenhas was a girl in Cape Verde, she always told her friends and family that she would go abroad to pursue a higher education -- a journey that has taken her around the world.
Maria graduated from one of the country's two high schools at the time. There were no universities in Cape Verde when she graduated. She taught history and geography in her hometown for a few years after high school.
Determined to go on to college, she went abroad. In 1983, she studied Russian and social sciences at the Lomonosov University in Moscow. The next year, she enrolled at the University of Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union.
In 1989, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in international law. In 2000, she obtained her master's degree in development and international cooperation from the Institute of Economy and Management Technical University of Lisbon in Portugal.
Mascarenhas said she believes that as a woman, she has to find the right balance between being a mother and a professional.
Especially in Cape Verde, women have to do more in order to succeed, said Mascarenhas. The role of women is often overlooked in the Cape Verdean culture. They are expected to be mothers, wives and professionals. In order to be successful, they need to find the right balance.
Mascarenhas is a mother of three, Winnie, 21, Chadli, 18 and Nadine, 2, and lives in Brookline, Mass., with Chadli and Nadine.
She enjoys playing games with her toddler and having conversations with Chadli. Her oldest daughter is studying abroad.
"I do whatever they do," Mascarenhas said. "I sit down on the floor with my 2-year-old and play games, and I have conversations with my son about his troubles and concerns."
Chadli is a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
"She knows what is best for all of us," Chadli said. "She supports us when we are on the right track and gives her strength when we deviate."
As for hobbies, Mascarenhas enjoys tennis, jogging, reading, traveling and enjoying different cultures. Mascarenhas also enjoys concerts and traditional music, and she has taught Nadine how to sing some Cape Verdean songs.
Whenever she is not working, she likes to visit historic locations and find out more about the background of each location.
"Some people would think that it is rather dangerous," she said. "But I like to grab a map, get on public transportation and just explore the area."
"I don't think I have achieved self-satisfaction," she said. "I feel that there is so much more that I can do for Cape Verde and Cape Verdeans in general."
When Mascarenhas was a girl in Cape Verde, she always told her friends and family that she would go abroad to pursue a higher education -- a journey that has taken her around the world.
Maria graduated from one of the country's two high schools at the time. There were no universities in Cape Verde when she graduated. She taught history and geography in her hometown for a few years after high school.
Determined to go on to college, she went abroad. In 1983, she studied Russian and social sciences at the Lomonosov University in Moscow. The next year, she enrolled at the University of Azerbaijan in the former Soviet Union.
In 1989, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in international law. In 2000, she obtained her master's degree in development and international cooperation from the Institute of Economy and Management Technical University of Lisbon in Portugal.
Mascarenhas said she believes that as a woman, she has to find the right balance between being a mother and a professional.
Especially in Cape Verde, women have to do more in order to succeed, said Mascarenhas. The role of women is often overlooked in the Cape Verdean culture. They are expected to be mothers, wives and professionals. In order to be successful, they need to find the right balance.
Mascarenhas is a mother of three, Winnie, 21, Chadli, 18 and Nadine, 2, and lives in Brookline, Mass., with Chadli and Nadine.
She enjoys playing games with her toddler and having conversations with Chadli. Her oldest daughter is studying abroad.
"I do whatever they do," Mascarenhas said. "I sit down on the floor with my 2-year-old and play games, and I have conversations with my son about his troubles and concerns."
Chadli is a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
"She knows what is best for all of us," Chadli said. "She supports us when we are on the right track and gives her strength when we deviate."
As for hobbies, Mascarenhas enjoys tennis, jogging, reading, traveling and enjoying different cultures. Mascarenhas also enjoys concerts and traditional music, and she has taught Nadine how to sing some Cape Verdean songs.
Whenever she is not working, she likes to visit historic locations and find out more about the background of each location.
"Some people would think that it is rather dangerous," she said. "But I like to grab a map, get on public transportation and just explore the area."
