María Carla Chicuén earned a Bachelor's Degree in History with High Honors from Harvard University, and a Master's in International Relations with Merit from the London School of Economics. Prior to FIU, María Carla led special projects in the Office of the President at Miami Dade College, where she focused on strategic partnerships and community engagement. Earlier, she held positions as a Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank in Panama City, Panama, and the World Bank in Washington, DC, in the integration and education sectors. María Carla has extensive experience in the area of higher education access, and has guided numerous students, including many students from Cuba, on university applications. She is the author of the book titled Achieve the College Dream.