Mayra Cerda

Lecturer
M.A. San Jose State University, 2011

Expertise:
Entrepreneurship, household economics, immigration, poverty, work, economic justice, globalization, applied anthropology



Clark Hall 469
408-924-5710
mayra.cerda@sjsu.edu

Mayra S. Cerda has spent over two decades championing economic empowerment and education through nonprofit work. Her journey began as an SJSU AmeriCorps member, where she developed workshops on financial management, education, and wellness. After earning her M.A. in Applied Anthropology from SJSU—researching entrepreneurship and microfinancing—she contributed to national financial studies with the Financial Health Network, NYU, and Bankable Frontier on the U.S. Financial Diaries, as well as with the University of Washington. At ACCION Opportunity Fund, she managed asset-building programs for low-income high school and college students and single mothers. Today, Mayra helps lead a pilot program at De Anza College supporting women child care entrepreneurs in earning their AA Teacher’s Certificate, serves the City of San José, and teaches Cultural Anthropology at De Anza. She also holds a B.S. in International Business with a Minor in Asian Studies from SJSU.