How a High School Spanish Teacher Became a Historian of the Llanos Orientales of Colombia

This paper traces my career between 1958 and 2017 showing how I evolved from being a high school Spanish teacher to a professor of Latin American History with a focus on a little known area of Colombia, the Llanos Orientales. Throughout this transition, I was buoyed by sheer luck, my lifelong interest in studying Latin America from different disciplinary angles, by strong mentorship from my professors and colleagues, and by my two husbands: John Loy and Marvin Rausch. The motto, “Take Pride in what you Have Done: Have Faith in What you Can Accomplish” encapsulates Marvin’s approach to his career, and since his death eight years ago, it has become my mantra as a way to carry on without him.