María del Carmen Mendoza Rangel's (b. 1947) career-defining post was as Professor of Community Development, Social Work Theory and Practice at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (ENTS-UNAM). She grew up in Uruapan, Michoacán, México. Her education led to a bachelors degree in social work and a masters in pedagogy. Her community and social work experience included rural, indigenous and urban settings. Important parts of her professional career were devoted to education, to work in local and regional community development projects within civil society organizations and civic education within Mexico City's government. For international use, she prefers her surname to be presented as Mendoza, and her preferred forename in interpersonal contacts is Mariacarmen; these names are used in the remainder of the book.

What has the award meant to you?

At the time, it was highly significant, especially because I was the first social worker in Latin America to receive it, the first Mexican and the first woman. It was something, which made us really proud, also because I was awarded the prize for Mexican social work. I have always said that I am part of a social work movement in which a group of colleagues constituted the Asociación de Trabajadores Sociales Mexicanos (ATSMAC: Mexican Association of Social Workers) in 1982. Since then, we have somehow taken on another professional dimension.

It was also very important that the recognition was assumed to be a university prize, and there were lots of different reactions to it. It was widely publicized around the university. They interviewed me and published the interviews in the university gazette and in a few national newspapers. At the time, I was working for Mexico City’s Asamblea Legislativa [legislative assembly] as social policy advisor to the Democratic Revolution Party's parliamentary group. Through ATSMAC, I achieved recognition among colleagues and friends.

Congratulatory letters on the award arrived from people I did not know, especially women, notable in some branches of science or public administration. They were heads of department, or government secretaries, who have to show their recognition of equal opportunities. Merely by being a woman, people are obliged to recognize you, especially in university media. The award is often mentioned to social work students and has been widely publicized as one reason for Mexican social work pride.