General Resume
Whitney Bembenek
612-462-4084
Work Experience
Independently Contracted - Natural Builder & Consultant July 10 - Present
(Various U.S. locations)
Develop, realize and engage community in building projects using natural, salvaged
and locally-sourced materials
- Design & co-construct earth-based projects, such as baking ovens, garden partitions, benches & gazebos with community members
- Prioritize using naturally-occurring, local, and excess materials to create structures of beauty and function
- Manage and coordinate volunteer participation, hands-on workshops, project financing, and materials acquisition
ReHouse Architectural Salvage - Sales & Marketing Associate June 14 - Present
(Rochester, NY)
Work with owner and other employees to enhance efficiency, creativity and aesthetic value
of sales floor and product intake
Cristo Rey High School- Transportation Assistant Jan. 13 - March 14
(Detroit, MI)
Assist in management and realization of daily transport of about 100 students and 15 drivers
- Provide transportation for students throughout the metro Detroit area
- Create, coordinate and communicate daily schedules and driving routes to school administration
Saint Patrick Senior Activity Center - Creative Arts Project Leader Sept. 13 - Dec. 13
(Detroit, MI)
Promote and inspire creativity & resourcefulness through craft projects using
natural, re-purposed and abundant materials
- Engage residents ages 55+ in creative projects using abundant and natural materials
- Facilitate sales, donation & circulation of hand-made craft products to wider community
Independently Contracted - Spanish & English Translator Jan. 12 – Jan. 13
(Madison, WI)
Perform written Spanish and English translations of documents for numerous
community organizations, websites, and schools
- Translated publicly distributed documents in Spanish & English for various
- Consistent & Efficient use of programs Microsoft Word and Excel
VOZ Workers’ Rights - Landscape Program Developer & Interpreter Feb. 11 - June 11
(Portland, OR)
Co-designed and facilitated weekly program created to empower immigrant laborers
with landscaping technique, culture and vocabulary
- Provided on-site language interpretation for English-speaking Instructor and
- Realized cross-cultural counseling with instructor and laborers, resulting in better
Immigrant Refugee Community Organization – SUN Program Tutor Feb. 11 - June 11
(Portland, OR)
Collaborated with other tutors to create a non-violent interactive space for at-risk middle
school students and provided them with one-on-one academic support
- Created activities that fostered positive interaction and learning that were adopted
Lovett Deconstruction - Deconstructionist & Interpreter Oct. 10 – Dec. 10
(Portland, OR)
Strategically dismantled entire and partial residential structures for material reuse
and facilitated communication for culturally-diverse crew meetings
- Frequently used hand and power tools including pry-bars, reciprocating saws
- Regularly assessed proper handling of hazardous building materials and use of
Cabarete Language Institute - Language Instructor & Translator Jan. 09 – Oct. 09
(Cabarete, Dominican Republic)
Personalized and carried out Spanish and English classes, beginning to advanced,
for international students in small group and one-on-one settings
- Created out-of-classroom activities for students that fostered conversation and
- Translated legal, commercial and scholarly documents as well as performed on-site
- Received exceptional written reviews from all clients
O’Neill Language Academy - Spanish Instructor Sept. 06 – Dec. 08
(Twin Cities, Minnesota)
Taught Spanish courses at multiple locations for groups sizes 1-30, incorporating music,
physical activity, and inter-student mentoring as principal educational tools
- Organized lessons and instructed for students of varying ages and ability levels in
- Created engaging visual aids and activities to aid in language acquisition
- Developed evaluation system that encouraged detailed constructive criticism and
Fischer Edit - Assistant Editor & Duplication Assistant Feb. 07 – Dec. 08
(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Assisted the edition of nationally broadcast and local video and film productions as well as
maintained detailed database of all product traffic to and from editing studio
- Performed regular video & audio content updates for company website
- Carried-out regular client service and reception tasks and assisted the development of
Noteworthy Skills & Training
- Spanish fluency, both written and oral
- Applied study & workshop facilitation of Non-Violent Communication Feb. 12 - Present
- Program Development & Facilitation - Dane County TimeBank May 12- Jan. 13
- Certification in Permaculture Design - Occidental Arts & Ecology Center July 2011
- Graduate of Oregon Tradeswomen Pre-Apprenticeship program Oct. 2010
- Certified English as a Second Language Instructor - Oxford Seminars Dec. 2008
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Photoshop
- Traveled abroad to various countries in Latin America and Europe, China and India
Education
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Sept. 02-Dec. 06
Bachelor’s Degree – Spanish Studies
Cumulative GPA – 3.73
Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile July 04-Dec. 04
Spanish and Liberal Arts studies
*Inquire for references*