Intercultural Center Welcomes Margaux Kraemer MA ’21 as New Assistant Director 

After graduating last spring with her Master’s of Arts in Counseling with a specialization in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Margaux Kraemer (she/they) will be joining the Intercultural Center (IC) as the new assistant director on July 19.  

After a year charged with political unrest and spent away from campus due to COVID-19, Kraemer recognizes that social justice work is challenging, but she offers a fresh vision to bring students together. “I have this overarching goal for the IC, for myself, and the community: I think we need to intentionally work on rebuilding trust and community with one another,” she said. “For me, the foundation of the work for social justice is built in mutual respect and trust.”

“My goal as assistant director is to create the IC that our students not only need, but the IC that they want as well.”

Kraemer recently worked with Senior Diversity Officer Kathy Littles as a graduate fellow and campus climate coordinator on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including the Campus Climate Survey coming out this fall. 

Kraemer brings her passion for helping students and an extensive background in student leadership and social justice work to the assistant director role. As an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz, she worked in the Cocurricular Programs Office, developing student leadership in community, international, and global perspectives. 

While studying in Saint Mary’s Counseling Program, Kraemer discovered her interest in higher education and student affairs through her transformational relationships at Saint Mary’s. “The students that I was working alongside who were also in the master’s program challenged the core of what I think of higher education systems, how we can push for things, and what diversity looks like.”

During her time in the Counseling Program, Kraemer completed her field placement in the Health and Wellness Center, working with Peer Advocates for Wellness. “It was a really good place to learn about the needs of Saint Mary’s students and how Saint Mary’s operates from a student perspective,” said Kraemer. “I don’t think at other schools I would have been able to do both the internship and the fellowship and still have been able to function as a person. It was very flexible, and I learned more than I ever could have in a course from these intentional placements, and the opportunities for these placements were unique. I didn’t have to go to another school to learn about diversity, equity, and inclusion. I got to work with someone as skilled and as powerful as Dr. Littles, and that’s a huge benefit to this education and this school.”  

To learn more about Saint Mary’s Counseling Program, click here. 

To learn more about the Intercultural Center, click here.