Argentina

Hi! My name is Ubaldina Gonzalez del Valle, but I’ve gone by "Dina" since high school. I come from a very humble family that struggled through the difficulties of supporting nine children, including many economic problems and needs that could not be met. Rather than scare us, though, it formed within us a strong need to excel. We learned by example from the efforts of my mother, who mostly raised us alone.

Because I had an understanding of these issues, I became involved in social work. I contributed to a nongovernmental nonprofit organization, helping people with different needs. Thanks to my past, I could empathize with and understand many reasons why people act certain ways in their daily lives. I also met people whom I taught and learned from. That also prompted me to look for tools to better understand others. In 2011, I became a social psychology operator. Just when I thought that was it, I found GPI, thanks to a friend who insisted I try journalism.

I'm really grateful for this new experience. I am learning every day that, “You can, and you should” get to know the stories of people and different social groups. “Knowledge is wisdom,” and to know and to gain wisdom are necessary to understand others. If all of humanity got to know each other, maybe the pain that man causes man wouldn’t exist. Moreover, being part of GPI, I can develop a new viewpoint – that true journalism shouldn’t only inform, but should also drive social change.