Maria Lara

Student Program Manager

Sorenson Impact Center

Maria Lara currently serves as the Student Program Manager at Sorenson Impact Center, where she oversees the day-to-day functions of the student program which supports all the elements of the Center’s work: data science, impact finance, impact strategy, impact investing and marketing communication and storytelling. Maria leads and manages the student affairs efforts in the center from student recruitment, onboarding, placement, as well as, the student experience, and alumni engagement initiatives. Prior to joining the Sorenson team, she worked in alumni relations, academic advising, at the University of Utah and first year experience at the Salt Lake Community College. Outside of higher education, she led a local non-profit focused on providing access to education and training for women in need to achieve economic empowerment – efforts aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Maria graduated from the University of Utah in 2020 with a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) with a focus on nonprofit and for-profit administration. Her undergraduate degree was in International Studies. Through academic experiences Maria was able to consult for private and nonprofit organizations from Ghana and Spain, making her an advocate for international and experiential education.