Mara Criollo-Rivera

Barry Florence Undergraduate Business Program and
Undergraduate Program in Digital Media Studies
University of Rochester

Mara Criollo-Rivera is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Rochester pursuing a double major in Business: Entrepreneurship and Digital Media Studies. She is a bilingual research assistant at the Cognitive Development Lab, where she is working on a research project titled, "Understanding Puerto Rican Culture" (“Entendiendo La Cultura Puertorriqueña"). This study explores the cultural practices and beliefs of Puerto Rican parents. Additionally, Mara is an intern at Ibero-American Action League, where she assists the marketing and digital media departments with work on dual-language multi-service programs that advocate for the Latino and underserved communities in Rochester, NY. Also, she is the founder of Rock of Arts by Mara through which she paints, sells, and showcases her Puerto Rican and Peruvian-inspired artwork. In her studies, she aims to further her research regarding representation in the media and how that affects children’s attitudes toward diversity. Ultimately, Mara aspires to develop an entertainment production company devoted to creating diverse children's multimedia content to be a positive model for children in the movement for social change.