Maria Linares found her voice at Cal State Fullerton.
Surrounded by students from similar backgrounds, Linares learned how to organize, speak up and advocate for change. The Santa Ana native discovered her niche in student leadership, representing more than 40,000 students as chair of the board for Associated Students, Inc. from 2018 to 2021.
Read more Mental fitness exam ordered for man charged with murder in 3 ‘heinous’ killings in Hawaii
In that role, Linares helped raise scholarship funding for undocumented students from $1,000 to $20,000 annually, pushed for credit/no-credit grading options during the pandemic and helped establish a food pantry on campus.
“I saw a lot of people that looked like me and had similar backgrounds, and that motivated me to help those students that were the most vulnerable,” Linares said. “I advocated for students with disabilities and mental health resources … because a lot of times they’re forgotten.”
While a graduate student at CSUF, Linares was appointed by the governor to the California State University Board of Trustees, a rare opportunity for a student and a position that carries significant responsibility.
As a student trustee, Linares fought for increased basic-needs funding, emergency housing, improved Title IX policies, mental health resources and support for survivors of domestic violence and formerly incarcerated students.
“And I had really great conversations with the trustees outside of meetings,” she said. “Sometimes we would talk one-on-one, or we would have lunch or coffee as we were waiting to go into our meetings. And they really saw that I was just passionate about the work that I did.”
Linares visited 22 campuses in her two years on the board, balancing statewide responsibilities with raising three children as a single mother.
Her advocacy at Cal State Fullerton — and in the years that followed — didn’t appear out of nowhere. Her difficult and at times traumatic experiences from childhood and young adulthood became the foundational catalyst for the passion that would later drive her work.
“Honestly, it came from my lived experiences,” Linares said. “I grew up in Santa Ana. There was a lot of instability, a lot of violence … a lot of barriers that people from underserved communities face.”
As a young wife and mother, Linares experienced violence within her home. Those experiences left her in “survival mode,” even as she tried to pursue an education and raise her children.
Linares attended a continuation high school, then Santa Ana College, then Irvine Valley College twice before finally transferring to Cal State Fullerton in 2016.
Read more ‘Love my woke pope’: Why Leo’s first encyclical went viral and how it speaks to his papal approach
“I knew Maria would be a great leader within a month of knowing her,” said Jessica Yirush Stern, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “I saw her shape a contentious debate about general education by grounding the conversation in how transformative education relies on broad exposure to the liberal arts. Her clarity of thought and dogged focus on how to uplift people who need it most have stayed constant. Her confidence in those skills and the scope of her impact have expanded, which is so great to see.”
She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from CSUF in 2019 and completed her Master of Public Administration degree in 2023.
After graduation, Linares worked in CSUF’s Office of Admissions before taking a position as the business initiative manager at the Orange County Business Council.
“Maria’s leadership journey began at CSUF, and I have watched it grow into a powerful commitment to service and advocacy,” said Jessica Barco, interim associate vice president of Strategic Enrollment Management, who has known Linares since Linares was enrolled at CSUF. “She leads with conviction, compassion and clarity, and it has been an honor to witness her impact and see her rise wherever a strong voice and resilient leadership is needed.”
Linares was drawn to the business council because of a new initiative she now leads. She oversees the Leading Educational Attainment for Families initiative, partnering with the Orange County Department of Education and school districts to help families — especially non-English-speaking parents — understand the K–12 system and become advocates for their children.
She also co-leads the California Jobs First initiative, which brought $9 million in funding to Orange County.
Along with her professional responsibilities, Linares serves in several advisory and leadership roles, including the CSUF Center for Healthy Neighborhoods Advisory Council, the CSUF College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Passage to the Future program, The Orange Workforce Alliance Regional Leadership Council, the Orange County Department of Education OC Pathways Executive Committee, the OC Health Care Agency Economic Disparities work group and the Project Kinship advisory council. She was also appointed to the OC Workforce Development Board by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
“My purpose in life is to help, to give back, to uplift,” she said. “As long as my heart is beating, I’m going to be involved in something.”
Linares previously volunteered with the Prison Education Project at the California Institution for Women, where she taught Introduction to College Success courses to incarcerated women.
“I very much like working with our justice-impacted community … whether that is educating them about resources or college access,” Linares said. “As long as I can create those pathways for people … I’m going to keep doing that.”
Read more Good dog! More children’s hospitals turn to furry caregivers to help kids heal