Maria has completed her first year at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. Prior to her graduate studies, Maria spent 5 years working for the Peace Corps. She volunteered as an Agricultural Extension Agent in Paraguay, then served domestically as a Diversity Recruiter for New Mexico and West Texas, and finished her time at Peace Corps as a Special Assistant to the presidentially appointed Associate Director leading Volunteer Recruitment and Selection. Maria attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA where she studied Biology and Anthropology, while also competing on the school’s nationally ranked Mock Trial team. She is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. In her free time, she enjoys exploring abandoned places, magnet fishing, and collecting stamps for her NPS passport.