Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Anna Orendain

October 21, 2022 | by Laura Ross

Categories: Spotlight

We periodically spotlight a staff member or partner to help our readers get to know our mission and industry a little better.

This week, we are spotlighting Anna Orendain, TSAHC's Marketing and Communications Specialist. As part of the marketing and communications team, Anna promotes TSAHC’s programs and resources across our social media accounts, serves as the main writer for the On the House blog and helps administer TSAHC’s Texas Foundations Fund and Housing Connection programs. We’re so thankful she’s part of the team here at TSAHC! Below is her interview.

Tell us about yourself.

While I was born and raised in Texas and grew up in the Dallas area, I’ve been living in Austin for almost ten years now! I first moved down here to attend classes at UT Austin, where I got my undergraduate degree in Rhetoric & Writing.  

How did you get your start here at TSAHC? 

I started off with humble beginnings back in 2019, as TSAHC’s summer marketing intern who officed in the copy room. While I joke about my initial office location, I really enjoyed my time working as an intern. Luckily, they decided to keep me around, and the rest is history!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy working with other nonprofit organizations through the Texas Foundations Fund. It’s a lot of fun to communicate with their staff members, especially when I can solve any problems they might be having. Shout out to any of our past or present grantees who might be reading this!

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, attending game nights with my friends, and hopping around between hobbies like knitting, video games, and reading. 

What type of books do you most like to read? 

While I enjoy reading all kinds of books, I’d say the mystery and thriller genres hold a special place in my heart. I can remember reading Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None for the first time when I was younger. I ended up staying up all night so that I could get to the ending! 

Do you have a bucket list? What are some (or one) of the things you hope to accomplish?

I don’t have an official list written down, but my sister and I have made it a mission to visit all the National Parks. I’d also love to visit the Basque region of Spain one day, since I have ancestors from that area. 

If you could meet anyone from history or witness an historical event, who (or what) would you choose and why?

As a booklover, I’d love to go back in time to visit the Library of Alexandria! 

What one piece of advice would you give to your childhood self?

What will be, will be! 

Tell us something about yourself that others may not know.

I’ve always been fascinated by science and medicine. At one point, I was thinking about becoming a doctor, but I changed my plans once my advisor listed out all the math and chemistry courses I would’ve had to take for medical school. With that career path ruled out, I focused on making a living with my aptitude for writing and communications. I still love watching medical dramas and trying to beat the on-screen doctors to making a diagnosis though!
 

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On the House blog posts are meant to provide general information on various housing-related issues, research and programs. We are not liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the information provided by blog sources. Furthermore, this blog is not legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney.