Annette Montez Kolda was born into a large Catholic, Latino family in Corpus Christi, Texas. Much of the inspiration for her writing is drawn from her rich TexMex culture and her beloved Church.
After graduating high school, Kolda went on to attend Corpus Christi’s Del Mar Community College. In between attending classes, she worked at a residential facility for disabled children where she bonded with some special, unforgettable children. She has enduring memories of taking a child to play at the park, to a ballgame, or to her family’s home for holidays.
Also, during this time, Kolda took part in missionary trips to Mexico. One memorable trip was led by a religious sister. The sister took the group to Mexico City where they visited her Mother House and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The group packed up food and provisions and accompanied a priest into the Mexican countryside to baptize babies, distribute communion, and preside over marriages.
Later, she transferred to the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction.
Kolda’s first job out of college was that of pastoral associate with the Diocese of Corpus Christi. She worked in the Office of Ministry with the Disabled where she partnered with a Sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. Together, Kolda and her ministry partner visited homes, took groups on retreats, arranged camping experiences, and organized Masses and social events. Kolda and Sister Terese used sign language, English and Spanish to communicate with the many hearing-impaired and other individuals that attended Diocesan events.
Kolda’s teaching career took her to Houston, Texas where she taught sixth-grade English to gifted and talented students for many years. While in Houston, she married her high school sweetheart.
Kolda and her husband started a family, and she left the classroom to stay at home and raise three children. During that time, she taught off and on– preschool, first grade and third grade, but most of the years were spent volunteering at her children’s schools, leading Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, teaching Sunday School and volunteering with bilingual students. In addition to her husband and three children, her family has grown to include two sons-in-law and three grandchildren.
With the help of UCLA Online Writers’; Program, Kolda imagined a tough, brave nun that would fight injustice and stand up for the poor, and she started writing her first novel, Pura Vida. She is currently working on her third book in the series.
Of course, Kolda’s life consists of so much more, but these are the main experiences from which she draws her story lines for her Sister Bridget books.
Annette Montez Kolda 