Profile

Say "hola" to Mary Vance, the Career Center's Spanish speaking career counselor and resident world-traveler. While she's put down roots in our office for the past 11 years, her background includes extended stays in Spain, Germany, and the West Indies as a Peace Corps volunteer, ESL instructor, and Cross Cultural Consultant.

Mary holds a Bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Master's degrees in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Teachers College, Columbia University) and Counseling (University of Maryland, College Park).

She specializes in careers and internships in sustainability-related fields and helping students apply for graduate school and also provides resume and cover letter critiques, job search strategy tips, assistance in the development of goals and career game plans, and guidance in figuring out what types of careers might fit your passions best. And nothing makes Mary happier than hearing that students she's helped land the jobs/internships they are applying for or are admitted to grad school.

When she's not researching green trends or helping students take resumes from an "ok" to a "wow," Mary is a serial knitter of scarves, loves languages, traveling, and anything to do with food, and has a vegetable garden that she considers a "work in progress."

Mary Vance
Counselor
Career Center
Portland State University
617 SW Montgomery
University Services Building, 4th floor
Portland, OR 97207
Phone: (503) 725-5373
Email: vancem@pdx.edu