Mariza June Avila joins the Lab as the Associate Designer for Visual Design + Impact. As the only child of Filipino immigrants, Mariza grew up navigating the American educational system without a guidebook. Between choosing the “right” classes in high school, preparing for standardized tests, applying to schools, gathering application materials, applying for financial aid, to securing part-time jobs and gaining financial literacy, transferring institutions, graduating, and preparing for post-grad life, each outcome was a combination of timing, diligence, and luck. Along the way, she adopted a mentor mentality, eager to help peers through these processes. In her role, Mariza is excited to bring this experience to the forefront, designing a more equitable and accessible path to higher education and beyond.

Mariza holds an associate degree in Art from Montgomery College (#MCProud) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art (#MICAmade). During her undergraduate career, she honed in on her interests in service design, understanding user experience as it applies to game design, human-centered design, and products. When not working, she’s either singing, training to be the very best like no one ever was, or working on her fitness.