Sandra Vega Carrero photo

Learn more about Sandra Vega Carrero, new Curriculum Developer for the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy.

Sandra is a Fulbright alumna devoted to e-learning and adult education. She is passionate about helping people learn and grow, at all levels. She has worked in the educational field for over 10 years. Originally from Colombia, Sandra earned her bachelor’s degree in education from the Universidad Autonoma de Bucaramanga, and her master’s degree in educational technology from the University of Kansas. Sandra has demonstrated ability in coordinating the production and delivery of learning materials for self-paced and instructor-led courses. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

  1. What will you be doing for the Training Academy? I’ll be developing learning content to train, develop, and support the skills, expertise, and well-being of Minnesota’s child welfare workforce.
  2. Tell us about your education and/or work experience prior to joining the MNCWTA. After completing my master’s, I devoted my time to e-learning and adult education. I have not only worked as a curriculum developer, but also as an eLearning developer, project manager, advisor, tutor and technical assistant. Those experiences have been useful when developing learning content, not only during the planning process, but also gives me an overall view of the learning products in real context. It gives me an idea of the challenges that a learner could encounter, and it helps me think about the possible issues that a trainer or a tutor could face. I have worked in various positions and consultancies for companies in the private and public sector. Each position has given me the opportunity of growing as a professional, but most importantly as a person. I have learned that empathy is key in the workplace because it improves human interactions in general and can lead to more effective communication and positive outcomes. Having the ability to understand the needs of others, and being aware of their feelings and thoughts, has helped me to become a better leader, team member and collaborator.
  3. What do you enjoy most about your work? I enjoy many things, but I will mention two: Every single course or training material that my team and I have developed has been full of learning and that is what I like the most, developing courses for me has never been a linear path. Each training, either tutor-based, self-paced, hybrid courses, or face to face workshops has brought to my life interesting challenges and learning experiences. Also, I enjoy working with other people. I have learned to appreciate and value the different experiences, and perspectives that my colleagues bring to the table. It is very enriching to learn from them and exchange experiences.
  4. What are you surprisingly good at? Cooking. It is one of my favorite things to do. To share recipes that I grew up with is something very special to me. And there is something extraordinary about trying new recipes, it makes me feel joyful.
  5. What do you like to do outside of work? Outside of work I love outdoors activities such as hiking, camping, running, biking, or rock climbing. Likewise, I enjoy spending time with my husband, and son. Also, I like to play board games with our friends.