A Few Minutes With Maria Silva

Maria Silva | Director of Neighborhood and Community Engaged Partnerships Mulvaney Center for Community Awareness and Social Action, University of San Diego

It’s been 12 years since María Silva first came to the University of San Diego as a freshman, bringing her dream of serving others.

Her childhood of growing up in the Mexican border town of Nogales, where she commuted to school on the U.S. side from kindergarten through high school, has shaped what she does and who she has become.

Now, as director of USD’s program of Neighborhood and Community Engaged Partnerships, part of the Mulvaney Center, María coordinates the school’s outreach programs to minority groups in Linda Vista, City Heights, Logan Heights, as well as Tijuana.

The goal of these inspiring social-service programs is to create reciprocal learning experiences for students, community partners and faculty alike.”

Prior to entering USD, where she later earned a BA degree in sociology, María took a “gap year” by leading an education program in an indigenous village in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. Upon graduating, she spent a year as a LISC San Diego staff member, which followed her service in the LISC AmeriCorps program while she was a student.

Early this year, María was honored for her outstanding community work by the California Campus Compact organization. The award cited her positive impact on campus and in the community, guided by best practices of community-campus partnerships.

Why are you so devoted to the cause of helping people?

It must be in my DNA because my family has always been community-oriented. We’re always looking for ways to serve others, through public service and politics, doing whatever it takes.

I love connecting with people, finding ways to make this world a better place for all of us. It’s been amazing to do that at a university where we can involve students in making change.

In your time with LISC, what did you most learn?

LISC was very eye-opening for me, in that I learned there are so many different ways to make societal change. It made me appreciate how many different pieces are involved in community development, such as in the financial and banking world, for example, and all the government agencies.

Prior to that, my only exposure had been being serving “on the ground,” getting involved in the community’s needs and responding. I came to appreciate how important it is to build relationships with institutions as well as with people.

What were your dreams as a child?

Most of all, I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, forever. I’ve always loved kids and I get so much energy from being around them. I thought having my own pre-school would be the perfect career for me, but my gap year broadened my career horizons.

Looking back, how did coming to USD change your life?

In a word, dramatically. Now, my passion is working with immigrant communities and that started from a work-study job I got at USD during my freshman year. Since then, I’ve grown both as a person and as a professional because of the opportunities I’ve been granted. Even though I’d like to return to Mexico someday, I feel like USD is like my second family and San Diego is now my home.

What do you hope is the impact of your program?

My hope is that being a Mexican woman who’s on the front lines of USD’s community engagement serves to inspire other women of color at our school. When I was a young student, I know I didn’t see myself reflected in the faculty or staff very much and I feel I have a responsibility to help change that.

I’m proud to represent USD’s young Mexican-American women and, really, all women of color who are looking for role models and seeking paths to better opportunities.