Staff Directory
Mayra Torres (she/her) is an Academic Advisor for the Detroit MADE Scholars Program at Michigan State University. She has a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Wayne State University and her Masters of Education in Student Affairs from the University of Maryland College Park. Mayra is passionate about supporting historically underrepresented students as they transition and navigate higher education.
Marlene Villa is the Coordinator for First-Generation Student Success and program coordinator for First-Generation Leadership and Innovation (FLI) Vanderploeg Scholars, located in the Pathways Offices in Bessey Hall. Marlene has worked at Michigan State University since September 2022. She has experience working in college access within communities of color and low socioeconomic means where most students also identified as first-generation. …
Sarah Ward is the Program Director for First-Generation Student Success and the Program Director for First-Generation Leadership and Innovation (FLI) Vanderploeg Scholars, located in the Pathways Offices in Bessey Hall. Sarah has worked at Michigan State University since 2023 and spent nearly 15 years serving higher education institutions across the country. She has her BAA in Organizational Communication from Central Michigan University and her MA in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University.…