Natalie is a Senior Strategist with MAYA, an education-equity firm based in Austin, Texas. As a member of the Early Childhood and Family team, she devotes her time to supporting school districts, non-profits, and philanthropies as they strive to ensure all children and families have equitable educations & futures.
Prior to joining MAYA, Natalie taught advanced and International Baccalaureate science classes as a teacher and later Master Teacher at at Title 1 school in San Antonio. During her time teaching, she learned that students could achieve more than they ever dreamed possible if they had a reliable, devoted educator to believe in them- but more importantly, help them strategize. To that end, she spent countless hours after school providing guidance on pursuing ambitions and preparing for college. Students under her tutelage have accepted prestige government internships, leadership roles with non-profits, and admissions to schools such as Purdue and Notre Dame. Even after leaving the profession, she keeps the memories of these students and their work together front and center as a reminder of the very real impacts that strong strategic planning, meaningful partnerships, and an equity-first mindset can have on children.
Natalie holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tufts University, where she first discovered her passion for education as a corps member with Jumpstart for Young Children, a nation-wide preschool literacy initiative. In her free time, Natalie enjoys reading, visiting state parks, and playing disc golf (badly).