Mara is a Field Service Case Manager for the Venango County Association for the Blind. She is originally from Erie and went to Edinboro University to get her B.S. in Psychology. She is currently residing in Franklin while enrolled in a Master’s program through Salus University for Vision Rehabilitation.

“My most recent achievement is being accepted into the VRT program at Salus, as it is going to allow me to provide services to individuals in an area that currently has a massive need for service providers” said Mara. Her future goals are, upon completion of her Master’s program and the ACVREP VRT Certification Exam, that she will be working with her agency director to build a VRT service program for not only her agency, but other agencies in the NWPA region.

Some of Mara’s hobbies include spending time with her family and bonus family that she has made over the years, playing with her dog, exploring the outdoors, traveling, and enjoying art. “My favorite part of living in Venango is the scenery. Whenever friends and family come to visit I always take them to my favorite places, like Kennerdell and Freedom Falls. It’s such a beautiful place to live,” said Mara.

When asked about working in the region she said her favorite part is getting to know people in the community. “I also love the population I work with. It’s great seeing the difference a pair of glasses can make in a child’s life, or seeing the changes having resources and building skills makes for our low vision or blind clients.”