{"id":5774,"date":"2026-09-15T17:24:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T16:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/?p=5774"},"modified":"2026-09-15T17:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T16:30:11","slug":"%e2%9d%a4%ef%b8%8f-back-to-university-as-a-professor-a-tribute-to-my-mentor-andreu-barrabino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/%e2%9d%a4%ef%b8%8f-back-to-university-as-a-professor-a-tribute-to-my-mentor-andreu-barrabino\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2764\ufe0f Back to University as Professor: a tribute to my mentor Andreu Barrabino"},"content":{"rendered":"

What would Andreu say?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a question I still ask myself whenever I face a new professional challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I already know the answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo for it.\u201d<\/strong> \ud83d\ude80<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 9 September 2026, I gave my final Level 2 speech at Maresme Toastmasters<\/strong>, entitled \u201cBack to University\u201d<\/em>. The speech was about mentoring, but above all, it was a tribute to someone who changed the direction of my professional life: Andreu Barrabino<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mar\u00eda \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf31 The person who opened a new door<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2002, after twelve years working in Advertising and Public Relations, I was ready for a change. I wanted to move towards a profession where I could have a more direct impact on people: education, training and mentoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andreu Barrabino, then Vice-Rector for Communication at Universitat Abat Oliba CEU in Barcelona<\/strong>, gave me an extraordinary opportunity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to go back to university \u2014 not as a student, but as a professor.<\/strong> \ud83c\udf93<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That opportunity opened the door to the world of education and training, which has been such an important part of my professional journey ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Andreu gave me much more than an opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He became my mentor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc99 What makes an exceptional mentor?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, I realise that Andreu embodied three qualities that, for me, define great mentoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc42 Empathetic listening<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He listened carefully. He observed. He understood what I needed, often before I was able to express it myself. And, most importantly, he was always available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude80 Proactivity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn’t simply wait for me to ask for opportunities. He anticipated them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I started teaching at the university, he encouraged me to accept new challenges and even proposed new classes. He pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me believe I was capable of more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcac Exceptional feedback<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andreu knew how to recognise people’s strengths and communicate their value. At the same time, he could point out areas for improvement with honesty, kindness and respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His feedback didn’t make me feel judged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It made me want to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f A mentor who is still with me<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andreu passed away in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, in a way, he is still part of my professional life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever I have to make an important decision or face a new challenge, I ask myself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat would Andreu say?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And somehow, I can hear him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo for it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That simple phrase reminds me of the importance of having people who believe in us \u2014 sometimes even before we fully believe in ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf1f From mentee to mentor<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Completing two Toastmasters levels has now given me the opportunity to become a mentor at Maresme Toastmasters<\/strong>, an English-speaking club dedicated to helping members develop their communication and leadership skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, this is much more than another achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It feels like closing a circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone once opened a door for me. Now I have the opportunity to help others discover what they are capable of. \ud83e\udd1d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this experience has reinforced something I have learned throughout my career as a trainer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communication, leadership and other soft skills can be developed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But growth becomes much more powerful when we have the right person beside us: someone who listens, challenges, encourages and gives us the feedback we need to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am deeply grateful to the Maresme Toastmasters community<\/strong> for giving me the opportunity to continue learning, growing and developing the soft skills that have become such an important part of my professional journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps the greatest lesson from Andreu is one I can now pass on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, all someone needs to take the next step is a person who says: \u201cGo for it.\u201d<\/strong> \ud83d\udcab<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you Andreu, my mentor Forever!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#MentorAndreuBarrabino #Mentoring #Communication #Proactivity #Feedback<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Andreu Barrabino, my mentor, opened the door to a new professional chapter in my life. \u2764\ufe0f Mentoring Forever<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[161],"class_list":["post-5774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mentoring","tag-mentoring"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5774"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5787,"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5774\/revisions\/5787"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mariamunozroca.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}