Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
Undergraduate education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Previous occupation: Graphic Specialist, National Geographic Magazine
Future plans: I am still discovering all that is out there!
Darden activities:  First Year Student Admissions Committee Registration Co-Chair, National Association of Women MBAs, Hispanic American Network at Darden, Consulting Club, General Management & Operations Club, Business & Public Policy Club, Outdoors Club

Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Mariel studied journalism as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; her current enrollment as a Darden Class of 2013 member renders her a Tar-Hoo! Following college graduation, she spent the summer working on an online documentary project about Chile’s Atacama Desert, the driest spot on earth. While there, it rained. At the end of the summer, she joined National Geographic magazine’s art department, creating and art-directing information graphics for the magazine for five years. National Geographic exposed her both to new global experiences and new business experiences, and a chance assignment to serve on an internal consulting project piqued her interest in business school.

So far, her favorite experiences at Darden have been getting to know her amazing learning team, working with the admissions office to recruit future Dardenites, and sharpening her quantitative skills. When not working on cases, she enjoys cooking, cheering on the Washington Capitals, discovering all that the Charlottesville area has to offer (vineyards, hiking, live music!) and running with her dog Harper.

Read Mariel's Blog