About the Author

I am a child of the Highest—God. I am blessed, uniquely made, with a fingerprint no one else has. I’m proud of the color of my skin. I was born in Managua, Nicaragua, where I grew up, went to school, worked for Esso, got married, started a family, and began law school. Yes, that’s me—Ilean.

My early life was shaped by two remarkable parents: my father, who inspired me with his passion for justice and poetry, and my mother, whose love, energy, and entrepreneurial spirit taught me resilience and creativity. Later, political turmoil led me to the United States, where I became a naturalized citizen. What began as a three-week vacation in 1979 with our five children became a permanent relocation—and an unexpected opportunity to immerse myself in the English language and American culture.

I’ve had the privilege of learning three languages—Spanish, my mother tongue; English; and French. I continue striving to improve in all three, knowing that the heart of communication lies in sincerity and clarity, not perfection.

My love for French began at age five, during a painful chapter in my life when my father was imprisoned in Nicaragua for political reasons. During that time, my godmother Elena Arellano Françeries and her husband—a French Jew with a warm Spanish accent—introduced me to the French language.

I left my job at Esso to pursue law school with the dream of joining my husband and father-in-law’s law practice. By my fourth year, the political situation worsened, and we made the difficult decision to leave on what we thought would be a brief vacation in California.

From Nicaragua to the Land of Dreams

I arrived with a suitcase of hopes, 
From Nicaragua’s sun-kissed slopes.
A vacation turned into a new start,
Embracing America with an open heart.
This land of freedom, vast and wide,
Offered me a place where I could reside.

The United States became my home, and I never returned to live in Nicaragua. My personal journey is candidly shared in both the English and Spanish versions of my memoir: Still on Vacation—in the Middle of a Pandemic and Todavía de Vacaciones en Medio de la Pandemia.

Since that "vacation" in 1979, I’ve worked at Chevron as a Human Resources Business Partner, earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Behaviour from the University of San Francisco, and cared for my beloved husband during his terminal illness until his passing at 57. At the same time, I raised five daughters through school, college, marriages, and motherhood. Today, I am a proud grandmother of eleven grandchildren.

I believe that if you have a dream, set a deadline, and persevere—it just might come true. Life is a winding path, full of both joy and hardship, but we must move forward with courage. Wisdom isn’t found in a single place but through continuous growth and learning.

I’ve now published three books. To nourish my mental health, I play the piano. I’ve been fortunate to travel the world, breathe deeply, and live one day at a time.