The sociology and public policy double major has found opportunities through Periclean Scholars mentorship and El Centro to explore her interests, build community and deepen her understanding of her Latino identity.
Growing up in Mexico City, María Cassereau ’27 never thought much about Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrating her Mexican identity was simply part of everyday life.
Her arrival at Elon University changed that perspective, giving her a broader view of how other members of the Latinx community understand and celebrate their own identities.
This new perspective has shaped Cassereau’s Elon experience, influencing how she understands her identity as she explores her passion for working with marginalized communities.
“I really like working toward a goal that makes people’s lives better,” Cassereau said. “I want to work with people to have a positive impact in my community, in my country, with my people.”
At Elon, opportunities both in and outside the classroom have introduced her to numerous career paths while helping her narrow her interests, ultimately showing her how economic development and empowerment can create meaningful change within communities.
One experience that has illustrated what that work can look like in practice is her involvement as a Periclean Scholar, now known as a Global Partnership Scholar.
Through the program, students work with community partners to develop mutually beneficial, sustainable partnerships. Cassereau’s cohort focused on the economic empowerment of marginalized communities in Sri Lanka, partnering with the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement.
Traveling with her cohort to Sri Lanka in summer 2025 gave Cassereau firsthand exposure to nonprofit work.
“Since I want to go into the nonprofit sector, it’s also been very eye-opening as to how nonprofits work,” Cassereau said.
The cohort has also partnered with Al-Aqsa Clinic, part of the Burlington Masjid, supporting the clinic through fundraising and website development while learning more about the community it serves.
Through these experiences, Mat Gendle, professor of psychology and faculty mentor to the Periclean Scholars program, has watched Cassereau grow into someone increasingly confident in navigating new experiences and determining the path she wants to pursue.
“She projects an easy and welcoming confidence that wasn’t present when I first knew her as a first-year student,” Gendle said. “It’s more of a projection of empowerment, [showing] that she’s confident in herself to know what she wants, figure things out and ask the right questions as she needs to.”
Gendle’s mentorship has also helped Cassereau better understand what it means to work alongside communities and how that understanding can apply to the work she hopes to pursue after Elon.
“The way he sees the work we do has really impacted the way I see what I want to do,” Cassereau said. “It’s not only about helping, but it’s also about partnering and learning from the community.”
Gendle’s mentorship has also extended beyond the classroom, providing support that, he says, begins with taking an interest in who his students are and what they hope to accomplish.
“For Maria, I think ‘seeing’ her really does just come down to me taking a genuine and authentic interest in her life experiences, her goals and finding ways to create opportunities that will help move her in that direction,” Gendle said.
That sense of support and connection has extended into other areas of Cassereau’s Elon experience, including her involvement with El Centro, where she has found a community that has also helped shape her interests and sense of belonging.
As a student coordinator, Cassereau works with staff to support El Centro programming and create a welcoming environment for students who visit the space, such as starting conversations or offering a friendly smile. While helping create that environment for others, Cassereau has also found her own sense of belonging within El Centro.
Cassereau’s interest in creating community extends beyond her work as a student coordinator. She also works with Kelly Bland, an international admissions counselor, to strengthen connections among international students.
At the same time, the communities Cassereau has found at Elon have given her opportunities to learn from people whose experiences differ from her own, adding new meaning to the identity she grew up with in Mexico City.
“Hispanic Heritage Month has given me a broader understanding and helped me express my Latino identity in a different way,” Cassereau said. “Every year, I get a clearer idea of what it means to be Latina to me.”
Elon honors Hispanic Heritage Month
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Elon University is sharing stories that celebrate the contributions, identities and experiences of students, faculty and staff. This month recognizes the rich histories and cultures of Hispanic and Latine communities, while also honoring the ways these traditions connect with and inspire people of all backgrounds. This month provides a special opportunity to honor Hispanic and Latinx heritage, but it also serves as an invitation for all members of the university to engage, learn and celebrate together.