Last year, the AB50C Awards honored 50 exceptional leaders. But who are they beyond their roles? We spoke with these leaders to uncover the stories, passions, and perspectives that shape them and what truly sets them apart.

Why She’s a Champion

Macarena won the AB50C Champion award in the Community Choice category for work that is thoughtful rather than loud and deeply rooted in care for the community. Through a first-of-its-kind initiative engaging Latin and Hispanic alumni, she demonstrated how advancement can be inclusive by design, built through listening, collaboration, and intention.

Her work reflects a simple but powerful belief: alumni engagement works best when people feel seen.

Beyond the Title

When Macarena was recognized as a Community Choice Champion, her first reaction wasn’t celebration; it was surprise.

She hadn’t expected the recognition. What stayed with her most wasn’t the title itself, but what it represented: that the work happening quietly inside alumni relations was being noticed and valued.

That instinct to look outward rather than inward runs through everything Macarena does.

If you asked her to describe her role to someone outside higher education, she wouldn’t start with data models or systems. She’d talk about people. About helping alumni feel connected to a place that shaped them. It's about creating space for culture, stories, and shared experience and using data simply as a way to support those connections.

At its core, her work is about belonging.

“I love seeing when what the numbers say actually happens in real life. That’s when the work feels real.”

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The Moment It All Clicked

Macarena first came across Almabase while exploring new tools to support alumni engagement. Months later, she received an unexpected message followed by a call from a colleague who had nominated her.

The recognition came quietly, but its impact stayed.

For her, being named a Community Choice Champion wasn’t about individual achievement. It was about visibility for alumni relations work that often happens behind the scenes and for teams whose impact isn’t always easy to quantify.

Since then, she’s noticed a subtle shift. More awareness. More appreciation. A clearer understanding of the role alumni relations plays in building lasting institutional relationships.

“It was really nice to see the hard work recognized. Now people are more aware of what the alumni relations team actually does.”

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Finding Her Way into Advancement

Macarena’s journey into advancement didn’t begin with a career plan. It began with curiosity, transition, and a search for meaningful work.

Originally from Chile, she spent much of her early career as a university professor. Teaching, researching, and working closely with students were central to her professional life. When she moved to the United States with her husband, she began looking for roles that felt aligned with what she already valued: work that combined research, problem-solving, and human connection.

When she came across a role in advancement, something felt familiar.

The description spoke to data, research, collaboration, and impact. It reflected the work she had already been doing, just through a different lens. She applied not because it felt like a departure, but because it felt like continuity.

Her first defining experience came early on, when she led the Hispanic Heritage Month initiative at Georgetown. It was her first major project and one that brought together people, culture, and collaboration in a way that felt deeply personal.

It was there that the work stopped feeling new and started feeling right.

“That project had everything I love. That’s when I knew this was what I wanted to do.”

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The Work That Matters

Today, Macarena serves as Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Georgetown University, where her work lives at the intersection of data, technology, and people.

Her role includes research, data analysis, and mathematical modelling, but those tools are never the point. They are a way to better understand alumni behaviour, improve engagement, and help teams make informed decisions.

What excites her most is seeing insight turn into action. When models translate into real attendance. When predictions align with lived experience. When alumni show up, not because they were asked, but because they feel connected.

Looking ahead, her goals are both personal and collective. She hopes to pursue a PhD in a related field, continue growing her team’s capacity, and expand initiatives that reflect the diversity of the alumni community they serve.

She also sees AI as a practical support for teams like hers, not as a replacement for human connection, but as a way to create space for it. From improving workflows to enabling timely responses, she views AI as a tool that can help small teams work more sustainably.

“AI won’t replace us. But it can feel like an extra team member , especially when you’re a team of three.”

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An Initiative She’s Proud Of

One project stands out as especially meaningful: the Hispanic Heritage Month initiative at Georgetown.

It was the first alumni engagement effort at the school dedicated specifically to Latin and Hispanic alumni. Macarena initiated and built a space where alumni could connect with one another, share experiences, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

The initiative included a dedicated microsite and a growing network designed to foster connection beyond a single event.

What mattered most wasn’t scale, but intention. It was a beginning.

After its first year in 2025, the project is now entering its next phase, with plans to grow, deepen engagement, and continue reflecting the community it was built for.

“This was the first year. Now that we’ve broken the ground, it can grow into something much bigger.”

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Rapid Fire

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Where It All Comes Together

Macarena’s story is a reminder that advancement doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes, it looks like quiet consistency. Like listening closely. Like building systems that serve people, not the other way around.

Her work reflects what the Humans of Advancement community stands for: thoughtful professionals doing meaningful work, often behind the scenes, always with care.

Because the future of advancement isn’t just strategic. It’s human.