Maria is a first-generation researcher, mentor, educational advocate, and proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She is excited to be serving the Tulsa community as Take Control Initiative's Education & Outreach Fellow through Tulsa Service Year. Maria is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with minors in Nonprofit Organizational Studies and Social Justice. At the University of Oklahoma, Maria developed an interest in the qualitative intersections of educational trajectory, familial influence, mental health, and gender in Latinx communities. She is devoted to using her educational privileges to advocate for underrepresented voices in academia and broader change-making spaces.