Magdalena De La Cruz Cook-Garcia (1979-) A.K. Maggie
Professional Interior Designer and Fresh Salsa Manufacturer. Born Magdalena De La Cruz Cook-Garcia on March 15, 1979 in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. She grew up in an orphanage with 68 brothers and sisters.
In 1998, she was recruited by the Mexican National Basketball team to play Basketball when she graduated high school, but then broke her collarbone three days before the National season. Months later she came to the US when she was recruited on a scholarship to play Basketball for the University of Charleston. She was later offered scholarships for the sports of soccer and crew, and latter graduated with an Interior Design degree in 2002.
Working full time in the Interior Design field, she started a fresh salsa company called Maggie’s Salsa, LLC in 2004. While working full time and starting her small business she taught at the University of Charleston (Computer Aided Drafting and Design) for two terms in 2004 and 2007. In 2006, she became the West Virginia Chair for ASID (The American Society of Interior Designers), she also became one of a few people in the State of West Virginia to be certified by the NCIDQ (the National Council for Interior Design Qualification). The same year Maggie became Vice President of Ridgeview Design (an Interior Design Firm in Charleston West Virginia). In 2007 she resigned her position at her firm to take over Maggie’s Salsa, LLC when she obtained a distributing contract with one of the largest national organic retailers (The Whole Foods Market).