Carmen Luz Briones Castillo

Born in La Serena, Carmen Luz graduated from Liceo de Niñas in La Serena in 1972 and continued immediately after her studies to become a teacher of Elementary and Junior High School with a major in Natural Sciences at the Universidad de Chile, La Serena branch.

Carmen held her first job for 22 years at the Escuela Cielo Claro (meaning "clear skies") in Paihuano where she was also the coordinator or Red Enlaces (a Computer Program for schools in Chile). It was then that the skies attracted her attention, as well as her student's, who participated in the Young World's Fair of Science in 1999 where they obtained first place and received a telescope that has became an extremely valuable asset to the school.

It was also during these years that she was selected to travel to Vancouver, Canada to spend two months for training in the use of computers and Internet in the classrooms. In 2002, Carmen Luz decided to return to La Serena with her two daughters of 17 and 19, to take a position as a second grade teacher in the Colegio Isabel Riquelme de Las Compañías. She also teaches natural sciences to 7th and 8th graders.

Her class while in Hawai`i will be based on the constellations and how these change according to the person's geographical location.