At McDonough, Sarena is exploring the intersection of business, racial equity, and social impact—with a particular interest in institutional culture, human capital, and financial inclusion issues. She also serves as VP of diversity, equity, and inclusion for the MBA Student Government Association and works with Dr. Ella. F. Washington as a research and teaching assistant. She is a member of the founding leadership team for the Anacostia Impact Fund, which works to increase access to capital for small business owners in marginalized D.C. communities.
After receiving her BA in international development and Spanish and Portuguese from UCLA, Sarena completed a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Espírito Santo, Brazil. She then worked at United Way of King County in Seattle, Washington, serving in a variety of roles on the development team and as co-chair of United Way’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Action Committee. This summer, Sarena joined Microsoft Corporation as a member of their HR leadership development program.
Originally from San Francisco, California, Sarena enjoys cooking, traveling, reading, and going on outdoor adventures. Her newest quarantine-hobby-turned-actual-hobby has been exploring the DMV area by bike.