Mariel Novas
Assistant Director of Partnerships & Engagement for Massachusetts
Mariel supports the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership, where she manages partner recruitment and engagement, drives coalition operations, and helps establish the strategy and vision for impact.
An immigrant from the Dominican Republic who was both a student and later a teacher in the Boston Public Schools, Mariel launched the Homegrown Program at Teach For America-Massachusetts — a recruitment and leadership development engine that supports aspiring educators from low-income communities in order to increase the number of homegrown leaders in the local education ecosystem. Before that, she served as a middle school ESL math teacher and an instructional coach. Mariel co-founded the Boston Education Action Network (BEAN) and organized hundreds of educators, community members, students, and parents.
Mariel holds a doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a master’s in Curriculum & Teaching from Boston University, and a bachelor’s in History & Ethnicity, Race, and Migration from Yale University.
Nickname: Mari
Superpower: Soothing babies
Favorite Sports Team: Boston Red Sox!
Proudest Moment: The day I became the first in my family to graduate from college in the United States.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
Play board games with friends and family – the more competitive the better!
What drew you to education?
As an immigrant to the United States who grew up in poverty, education opened every door I’ve been able to walk through; it is my life’s purpose to ensure that the doors remain open for more kids like me.
Why are you passionate about working at Ed Trust?
My colleagues at Ed Trust unapologetically and skillfully advocate for our country’s most underserved students. It lights my fire to work side-by-side with others who have such clarity of purpose and moral courage.