Lara Salazar
Client Strategist
AKA “Sensible Salazar“
This Saint Anselm College Hawk enjoys her role helping schools navigate their enrollment planning, strategy, and communications while getting to work closely with the admissions team. Lara is happy to serve as a resource for Spark451’s partners, keeping them up-to-date with admissions and operational advancements.
Having spent the last 15 years of her career employed in higher education on the university side, Lara started out as an admissions counselor at a small arts school and worked her way up to become Assistant Director of Admissions at Rivier University, where she recruited high school students from all over the northeast. From there, Lara transitioned to operations, taking on the position of Director of Enrollment Operations and honing her skills in analyzing data, creating reports, and implementing technology to better support recruitment strategy.
Lara also found time along the way to earn her M.Ed. in education studies from Rivier University. In her free time, she enjoys watching the TV show Friends over and over, laughing just as hard as she did the first time she saw the episodes. Her favorite friend? Chandler Bing!
What do you love most about working in higher education and why?
I love working in higher education because I’m impacting the life and future of a student. I know how much I valued my college experiences, and getting to help others find their way is very rewarding.
How has your own college education directly translated to success at Spark451 and why?
While earning my M.Ed., I had the opportunity to take courses in counseling that developed my skills in active listening, questioning, and relationship building. This helps me be an active participant in discussions to clarify the needs of a client while building long-lasting relationships.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given and why?
Get into the habit of asking yourself: Does this support the life you’re trying to create? It’s a reminder to follow my mind and my heart to reach my goals in all aspects of my life.
What is one super power you’d want to possess and why?
If I could have a superpower, it would be the ability to teleport. There are so many places I’d like to visit and cultures I’d like to experience that teleportation would make traveling much easier.
