▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁doctor , ▁Manuel ▁Bal b ino ▁Mor eno ; ▁her ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁merchant ▁and ▁ran cher ▁of ▁Italian ▁proven ance . ▁When ▁she ▁was ▁nine ▁years ▁old , ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁Pan ama ▁gained ▁its ▁independence ▁from ▁Colombia . ▁She ▁completed ▁her ▁primary ▁education ▁in ▁La ▁Villa ▁de ▁los ▁Santos ▁and ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁Pan ama ▁City ▁to ▁complete ▁her ▁secondary ▁school ing ▁at ▁the ▁Catholic ▁girls ' ▁school ▁Santa ▁María . ▁With ▁her ▁brother , ▁Dom il uis , ▁Camp od ón ico ▁journey ed ▁to ▁Bell in z ona ▁in ▁the ▁Swiss ▁C anton ▁of ▁T ic ino ▁in ▁the ▁Italian ▁Al ps ▁to ▁study ▁education . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁she ▁received ▁a ▁master s ▁of ▁education ▁for ▁teaching ▁kind erg arten ▁and ▁primary ▁school , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁certific ates ▁for ▁teaching ▁French , ▁Italian ▁and ▁Spanish . ▁Return ing ▁to ▁Pan ama ▁City , ▁she ▁began ▁teaching ▁as ▁the ▁professor ▁of ▁ge ography ▁and ▁history ▁at ▁the ▁teacher ' s ▁training ▁school . ▁She ▁soon ▁married ▁, ▁and ▁educ ator . ▁Because ▁their ▁teaching ▁methods ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁too ▁progress ive , ▁the ▁couple ▁were ▁dismiss ed ▁from ▁the ▁normal ▁school . ▁T ogether ▁they ▁set ▁up ▁the ▁first ▁school ▁to ▁train ▁kind erg arten ▁teachers . ▁The ▁school ▁util ized ▁the ▁Mont ess ori ▁method ▁and ▁was ▁operated ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁couple ' s ▁home . ▁ ▁Political ▁activity ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 ,