Rebeca Uribe Bone facts for kids

Rebeca Uribe Bone (born July 7, 1917 – died May 8, 2017) was a very important woman in Colombia's history. She was the first woman to ever graduate with an engineering degree in the country! Rebeca became a chemical engineer, which means she studied how to change raw materials into useful products. She earned her degree from the Pontifical-Bolivarian University in Medellin.

Rebeca's Early Life

Rebeca Uribe Bone was born in Guatemala City on July 7, 1917. Her father, Guillermo Uribe Echevarría, was an accounting expert from Basque Country in Spain. Her mother, María Teresa Bone Romero, was from Guatemala and had English family roots.

Rebeca's parents met and married in Guatemala City. They had six children there. In 1928, the family moved to Colombia and settled in Medellin, where they had two more children. Rebeca's parents were very open-minded. They strongly encouraged all their daughters to study and choose a career. This was quite unusual for the time!

Many of Rebeca's siblings also pursued amazing careers. Rebeca became a chemical engineer, and her sister Guillermina Uribe Bone became a civil engineer. Another sister, Helena, became a doctor. Their brothers also chose interesting paths, becoming a pilot, a lawyer, and an architect.

Rebeca's Education Journey

Rebeca finished her high school studies at the Central Women's Institute in Medellin. At that time, universities were just starting to accept qualified women. Rebeca had excellent math and chemistry teachers who inspired her. Because of them, she decided to study chemical engineering at university.

Her parents were very supportive of her choice. They encouraged her to go to college, just like her brothers. Rebeca's sister, Guillermina, once said that their father was "ahead of his time" because he encouraged them so much. He believed women could achieve great things.

One of Rebeca's teachers was Joaquín Vallejo Arbeláez, a famous Colombian engineer and writer. He later became an important representative for Colombia at the United Nations. Rebeca also took classes in general knowledge and teacher training.

On October 19, 1945, Rebeca Uribe Bone made history. She received her degree from the Pontifical Bolivarian University. She officially became an industrial chemical engineer, making her the first woman in Colombia to earn an engineering degree!

Rebeca's Personal Life

After graduating, Rebeca started working in the quality department at Bavaria, a brewing company. Before she had even worked a full year, she met a man who was visiting Bogotá. He was from Basque Country, like her father.

Rebeca married him, and they started their life together in Calin. They even started a factory there and had a son. In the 1980s, Rebeca and her family moved to Bilbao, a city in Spain.

Rebeca stayed active even when she was very old. She enjoyed walking around her neighborhood every day. When she was 95, she had a bicycle accident. Rebeca Uribe Bone passed away in Bilbao on May 8, 2017, just before her 100th birthday.

See also

In Spanish: Rebeca Uribe Bone para niños