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Dulce Carrillo's Bundle of Joy: The First Fletcher Baby of the Millennium

By Jennifer Lahue (MALD '00)

Most everyone has interacted with Dulce Carrillo at some point since the beginning of the year. Fresh from her tour of the Mexican Embassy in Tokyo, Dulce arrived at Fletcher in August to pursue her second (yep, second) master's degree. If you aren't immediately taken with her grace, poise and fabulous hair, then perhaps you've noticed the arsenal of languages she speaks, or the way she really listens when someone is talking. If none of these things about her ring a bell then maybe the fact that she is PREGNANT would jar your memories. Well, rather, was pregnant. On Feb. 1, 2000, Dulce and her husband, Sam Klein, finally got to meet their daughter, Havi Micaela Carrillo-Klein, at around 3 a.m., making Havi the first Fletcher baby of the new millennium. While parenthood may be a new role for Dulce and husband Sam, it certainly isn't the first life-changing challenge. As a matter-of-fact, taking on major challenges has been a constant theme for Dulce.


Havi at four and five days of age

One of 13 children and a graduate of University of California at Berkeley, Dulce left for Korea soon after receiving her bachelor's degree. Having studied hapkido for a number of years, she was anxious to perfect her form and wanted to do so in Asia. While living in Korea (and subsequently acquiring her black belt in hapkido), Dulce decided to learn Korean and eventually entered a Korean essay contest for foreigners where she took second place. Little did she know that in the audience was a staff member from the Mexican Embassy. Struck by Dulce's command of the language and anxious to get a proficient speaker into the Embassy, he approached Dulce about a job. A diplomat was born. Complete with diplomatic immunity, Dulce continued to run red lights and learn about the Mexican Foreign Service in short order. After four years at the Embassy, some friends from Seoul's expatriate community introduced Dulce to the man she would marry, all 6' 4" of Sam Klein. It wasn't long before the two went on their first date (St. Patrick's Day at O'Kim's Bar in downtown Seoul) and were soon running red lights together. Within a year, Dulce had been recruited to the Mexican Embassy in Tokyo; Sam followed when he landed a teaching job there and the two married in 1997 in Los Angeles.


Dulce Carillo and Sam Klein, proud parents.

 Dulce and Sam spent three years in Tokyo working and traveling until one very blonde friend of theirs enrolled in the Fletcher School. After much raving about courses, student body and the caliber of salsa dancing, Dulce applied and was accepted. Once Dulce and Sam learned that they were going to be relocating to the Boston area they also learned that they were expecting. And the rest, as they say, is history.

 

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