The Madrid native Patricia Serrano Soto, 34, has become the first woman to secure a position as a gravedigger in the Vélez-Málaga City Council. She passed the competitive exam held in October and is now working at the municipal cemetery.
Patricia Serrano Soto, originally from Madrid, has made history in Vélez-Málaga by becoming the first woman to hold a position as a gravedigger in the City Council. At 34 years old, she has just joined as permanent staff at the Municipal Cemetery after passing the selection process held last October to fill three positions of Gravedigger.
Serrano, who has been living in Málaga for three years, has already started her first days of work at the Vélez cemetery. The Councillor for Cemeteries, Manuel Gutiérrez, welcomed her at the municipal facilities to greet her and hear her first impressions.
The new employee states that when she saw the job announcement, “she didn’t hesitate for a second.” Since then, she dedicated nearly a year to preparing for the tests, an effort that paid off: she achieved the top position in the process and secured one of the three available spots. The other two selected candidates have also already joined.
Her professional choice is not a coincidence. Patricia explains that she has always enjoyed outdoor work, contact with plants, and interacting with the public. She has experience in a nursery and a florist, and has closely encountered situations related to the deaths of family members and the operation of funeral homes, something that, as she says, has taught her the sensitivity and respect that this profession demands.
When asked what it means to have made history, she simply responds: “I feel normal.” For her, the important thing is having secured a position for which she had been preparing for a year and being able to dedicate herself to a job that she truly enjoys.
“Vélez-Málaga is a wonderful city,” says Serrano, who now wants to take a further step and settle in the municipality: she is already looking for accommodation in the capital of Axarquía to begin a new personal chapter with her partner.
The Councillor for Cemeteries, Manuel Gutiérrez, has highlighted the significance of this incorporation and emphasized that “it is a pride to welcome her to the Vélez-Málaga City Council and accompany her in this new beginning.” In his statements, Gutiérrez has praised Patricia's effort to pass the selection process and insisted on the importance of having professionals who work with sensitivity, respect, and a vocation for public service.
Patricia Serrano's arrival marks a milestone in the history of the Vélez council, where no woman has ever held this position before. Her incorporation is part of the announcement of three positions of Gravedigger approved by the City Council in October, which was resolved through a competitive exam.
You may also like
