Alex and Flor de Maria Flores

 

In 1968 Alex Flores and I, Flor de María Gómez, joined the Elbert Covell family without knowing that it was going to change our lives for ever.  I arrived as a Colombian and Alex as an American student born in Mexico . We left Covell as “citizens of the world” with open minds, big dreams and a multitude of skills all learned at Covell both from our amazing professors and unique classmates. This prepared us for the excitement and challenges that have filled our lives.

 

Alex and I met early during our Covell experience, so we were able to enjoy together all the adventure that came with it. (Remember RPM, the movie with Ann Margret and Anthony Quinn? We were extras!)  We married and have 3 children: Fernando, Alex R. and Gina and 2 precious grandchildren Gabriella and Nicolas. Flor’s mother came to live with us until her death early this month, she was 102.  For the last 22 years we have lived in the Washington DC area and until recently there were 10 of us living at home, so you can imagine it was one celebration after another.

 

Our almost 37 years of marriage had been filled with 23 years of Army life, 16 years of hospitality industry, 14 years at the Organization of American States, 6 years living in Panama and much more….. Whether it was Alex in the military or currently the OAS or Flor de Maria in the travel industry or Fernando working at the United Nations or Gina at the National Council of La Raza or Alex R as a restaurant manager at the International Country Club, we are always getting an internship or job for someone or hosting some event or doing business with an International flare.  We just can not escape it and somehow we blame it on Covell!

 

We learned at Covell to enjoy diversity and to think with a global mind. (Global was not even a term used then). We have been fortunate to keep in touch with some of our professors (Dr. Robinson, Dr Pippin and Ms. Bey have been regulars) and many of our classmates.

 

We are delighted and grateful to the effort of covelianos.com that has brought so many of you back into our lives again!   We thank those that have dedicated so much time and energy to keep the Elbert Covell spirit alive!

 

Alex  (70) and  Flor de Maria (72)