Maria Elena Ornelas

Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions

Academic Affairs

Biography

María Elena Ornelas earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Vanderbilt University. Serving as an admissions officer at her alma mater for the past 14 years, she has devoted her professional career to issues of college access & success and the recruitment of underrepresented & first-generation college students. María is highly involved with her local community, using her expertise to provide college application workshops to area students and to assist with the professional development of her counseling colleagues. In her role as Associate Director of Admissions, María manages a recruitment territory, supervises graduate student interns, manages college access partnerships, and assists with the recruitment coordination for her office. She is a board member for Intrepid College Prep and has previously served on the board of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling.