Honorary Members

Shaké Balian

Shaké Balian was born in Bucharest, Romania. Her family had to flee from the invaded Armenia before Shaké was born and then from communism in Romania in 1948 when Shaké was a very young child. They reached Argentina and soon settled in Buenos Aires, bringing the rest of the family over a year later.

Shaké was educated at Belgrano Girls’ School and went on to study piano at Scaramuzza Conservatory and obtained her Piano Teacher’s Diploma.  The school connection was what brought her to the UWC. Long after she graduated, a former headmistress, Miss Anne Smith – a UWC member - was celebrating her 80th birthday and suggested that Shaké might enjoy being a part of the University Women’s Club. Under Anne Smith’s encouragement Shaké joined the UWC when Shirley Tanco was President in 1987 and since then she has been an important part of the Club.

Shaké has been on almost every single Committee and served every position in the UWC apart from Vice-President. At the very first meeting she attended she signed up for Study Groups – where incidentally she still is today!

Shaké also served in Hospitality, Program and of course as President in 1993. Together with her dear departed friend Selma Agopovitch, she set up the Writers’ Workshop in 1993, which is still going strong 31 years later. During those years, the UWC published two booklets with short stories and poems written by members of the Writers’ Workshop.

The other activity that Shaké initiated in the UWC is Spanish through Experience, mainly because in the ‘90s there were so many expats who did not speak Spanish fluently and Shaké was teaching Piano, English and Spanish at the time . Shaké would organize trips to places such as the Museo de Arte Decorativo and provide the expats with handouts containing exercises to practice their Spanish.  Shake’s dear friend Frida Chepelinsky joined her in leading the activity for quite a few years. These days most UWC members do speak Spanish. It is the one UWC activity, offering mainly talks and outings, that is in Spanish.  

Phyllis Barrantes

Phyllis was born and educated in England. Her love and interest in music began when she attended school in Leeds, where music retained a primary place in public education. Phyllis attended the London School of Economics and Political Science, London University, where she obtained a degree in BSc Economics (Int´l Relations). Her personal tutor, Bob Hunter, later became NATO ambassador under President Clinton. One year during her university vacations, Phyllis worked for three months in a kibbutz in Israel. On another occasion, through AIESEC (Association Internationale des Étudiants en Sciences Économiques et Commerciales), she taught business English to executives of the company which built the metro system in Mexico City. With a desire to work abroad, Phyllis applied to the UNDP (the United Nations Development Program) before she graduated. She was hired, and the UNDP brought her to Buenos Aires. Here, she was responsible for project reporting to UNDP headquarters in New York and later for helping set up projects in a variety of fields, from mining and agriculture to education and infrastructure.

Phyllis lived in Germany for almost 10 years, working for five years at the Ibero-American Institute for Economic Research. She served as assistant to the head of the institute, who was on the Economic Advisory Panel of the European Commission (pre-EU). In Bahia Blanca, Argentina, she worked as foreign trade consultant at the developing zona franca.  In collaboration with UNCTAD she was also regional and then world coordinator for setting up Trade Points within the framework of the World Trade Point Federation. 

Phyllis joined the UWC in 2012. She has actively participated, donating many hours on various committees. She volunteered as Treasurer from 2012 to 2018, President in 2016, and has served on the archives committee since 2011. Because of her continued interest in international affairs, she led the Current Affairs Committee, for which she challenged members, with various information sources, to address issues affecting the world today. Her continued love for music drew her to support actively the Orquesta de Los Barrios. For the Orquesta, she provides young, skilled musicians support so that they may realize their full potential.

Patricia Caviezel

Patricia was born in the USA and after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo she spent two years teaching in the USA before arriving in Argentina and beginning her 30-year teaching career in Buenos Aires. In 1995 she gained an MA in Education from Buffalo State College.

In 1987 and 1988 Patricia was sent by the Lincoln School to the Gateway Writing Project at the University of Missouri - St. Louis and the University of California at Berkley, respectively, where she received training in how to teach computer writing. She then spent two years giving classes to teachers to introduce them to writing on the computer in Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay. As Adjunct Professor for the University of California at Northridge Patricia also gave evening classes for adults in Buenos Aires. Patricia is also a very talented artist.

Patricia became a member in 1977, returned to teaching in 1978 until her retirement in 2005 and re-joined the UWC in 2006. She has been an extremely active member of the club ever since: she has been Chair of Publicity, Chair of the Communications Committee since 2014, Chair of the Archives Committee since 2015 (and member since 2006), has participated regularly in the annual Art Show, took over the design and publication of the Bulletin in 2009 and was twice voted President (2010 and 2011).

Patricia’s positive attitude and gift for interpersonal relations have contributed greatly to the friendly atmosphere within the club. She has always been on hand when help was needed and has contributed in innumerable ways to a wide range of UWC activities. On the Board she has been and remains an invaluable asset, providing sage and well-founded advice, opinions and ideas.