Mayra Cerda

Lecturer
M.A. San Jose State University, 2011

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


Office Hours: Will resume Spring 2025


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

Mayra comes from the social and micro-finance service sectors, where she has focused her career journey on economic justice and education. She started her journey as an SJSU AmeriCorps member where she developed workshops about household financial management, US educational system, and wellness. She received her MA at SJSU’s Applied Anthropology program where she focused her project on entrepreneurship and micro financing. After graduating, she worked as a researcher for the Financial Health Network, NYU and Bankable Frontier on a national and two-year study called US Financial Diaries. Mayra also conducted research for University of Washington to understand Opportun’s (formerly known as Progreso Financiero) financial practices and its customers. Because of the knowledge she gained through her participation in financial research, she joined Opportunity Fund to manage two asset-building programs for low-income college students and single mothers. Currently, Mayra manages Sacred Heart’s Economic Empowerment Department and teaches Cultural Anthropology at DeAnza Community College. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and a Minor in Asian Studies from SJSU.