Current Staff Member, CPS

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What brought you to CPS and what were you hoping the experience would give you?

Growing up, I watched my father define leadership through empathy. A karate dojo owner for over 40 years who developed national champions (including me) he was resuscitated six times after a devastating car accident and told he would never walk again. He went on to become a world champion and seven-time Hall of Fame inductee, and spent his life helping thousands of kids break barriers. I always wanted to be just like him.

In 2013, I got a taste of that kind of transformation working with at-risk youth at Camp Wing. Kids who arrived standoffish and burdened left like butterflies breaking from their chrysalis. I still have their letters, laminated.

Over the years, I drifted into corporate life, finance, then digital marketing. Through it all I was always asking: how is this making the world better? When my father passed two years ago, I felt lost. Then I realized it was time to create my own path. I chose Nonprofit Management because it’s the sector of purpose, of looking beyond oneself. I hoped this degree would help me impact at least one person in a meaningful way. It already has.

What is the moment, class, conversation, or experience that stands out most from your time at CPS?

A conversation with the CEO of Professors Without Borders changed how I think about impact. She asked whether it’s better to start a new nonprofit or strengthen what already exists. After completing my Nonprofit capstone, I found my answer: collective action. When nonprofits partner and pool resources, they can tackle challenges no single organization could address alone. Innovation happens through connection, when brilliant minds come together and harness their energy for social good.

How has being part of CPS changed you — professionally, personally, or both?

I’m fortunate to have experienced CPS as both a student and a staff member and each perspective has made the other richer.

As a student, I’ve deepened my resilience. Even in the toughest semesters, balancing three courses, three jobs, and a sick parent, I kept going. Sometimes completing midterms from hospital waiting rooms. My concentration in Leadership has helped me understand that leadership is, at its core, empathy.

As a staff member managing close to 100 students across three engagement programs, two of which I created, I learn something in class on Tuesday and apply it in my work by Friday. Hearing virtual students feel disconnected led me to create virtual programming. Hearing that students struggled with APA or Canvas after years away led me to launch supporting resources. My degree has proven its value in real time, every week.

Is there a person — student, faculty member, advisor, or colleague — who made a meaningful difference for you at CPS? Tell us about them.

I can’t thank Dr. Les Stein enough. There was no better way to close this degree than to have him as my final professor. He has a gift for making every student feel important and heard, always pushing us to dig deeper. I see that same quality in him as a colleague who consistently shows up and volunteers his time. I aspire to his example.

I also want to thank Cortney Nicolato for giving me confidence in math. It had always been a source of fear, and I was terrified to take her finance class. She made herself available, explained concepts without making them feel intimidating, and for the first time in my life, I earned an A in a math course. That’s not a small thing. It’s a mental barrier I thought I’d carry forever.

Saying yes to education is never the wrong choice. Even when it’s hard, even through sleepless nights, even when the reading feels endless. Education makes people more worldly and more kind.

Mariah Silva

What do you want the Class of 2026 to know as they step forward from here?

Saying yes to education is never the wrong choice. Even when it’s hard, even through sleepless nights, even when the reading feels endless. Education makes people more worldly and more kind.

My dad always said a true master never thinks they’re done learning. They always seek ways to improve. Act in ways that spread love, peace, and kindness. Be present in the moment. One person can make a difference. We are living proof.

What was it like to pursue your degree while working at CPS?

It was exciting to have colleagues as teachers and to see them passionate about the subjects they love. There was healthy pressure, too: I couldn’t slack off knowing I’d see them in the office on Monday. I have them to thank for my stellar GPA.

The flexibility of the online platform made balancing both worlds possible. For anyone starting: the six-week courses are accelerated. Begin with one and build up. And lean into the full-circle nature of it. In 2013, I tried to transfer to Northeastern and the timing wasn’t right. My path brought me here anyway. Getting to graduate alongside the students I mentor is one of the greatest achievements of my life.

Is there anything else you want us to know?

CPS has given me confidence, purpose, and opportunities I couldn’t have imagined. Among them: the Tala Khudairi Emerging Leader Award for New England made possible by colleagues and students who believe in the programs I’ve built. It would not be Huskies for Life without faculty and staff who volunteer their time. It would not be the Student Ambassadors without 36 students who show up consistently. It would not be the Circle without 13 students who said yes to something brand new. This degree belongs to all of them, too.