Catalina Morales Vélez

Innovative and impactful publications often require countless hours of behind-the-scenes work at the grassroots level. Volunteers — the people who put in those hours simply because they believe in a publication’s inherent importance — bring a unique level of passion to the industry. Catalina Morales Vélez, who has been working with The Polyglot, Alberta’s only magazine celebrating multilingualism, since 2022, exemplifies that spirit of selflessly lending one’s talents on a volunteer basis.

Morales Vélez is a gifted multilingual writer but is also a skilled marketing professional with a tremendous knack for communication strategy. Her colleagues at The Polyglot call her contributions “nothing short of transformative,” with Morales Vélez taking on a leadership role that has seen her support the magazine’s new initiatives, which has helped propel The Polyglot into the realm of chapbooks, audiobooks, workshops, masterclasses, and other events, while growing the publication’s reach online with a regular newsletter and building a beautiful new website.

Morales Vélez’s hard work has had a measurable effect, attracting new partners, readers, and contributors. A recent issue of The Polyglot saw 250 people from 41 different countries making submissions in 78 different languages, many undoubtedly learning about the magazine thanks to Morales Vélez’s efforts. Beyond her marketing expertise, Morales Vélez is also known for her infectious enthusiasm, which has attracted other volunteers into The Polyglot’s fold. After having represented The Polyglot on the world stage in Portugal at the 2023 World Media Congress, Morales Vélez came back with amazing new ideas that the team is currently implementing.

Clearly, much of Morales Vélez’s volunteerism is driven by The Polyglot itself, but she also has her eye on a higher cause of promoting multilingualism, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and building a more inclusive and culturally vibrant Alberta. Her work creates a more fertile space for emerging writers, artists, and creators in Alberta and beyond, with an impact felt by our entire magazine community and well beyond.