Staff: Mary Isabel Sales

Mary is a proud daughter of Filipino immigrants born and raised in the Chicago suburbs. She graduated from Augustana College in Illinois in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Psychology and minors in Sociology and Theatre.

Her passion for service and education grew through experiences such as tutoring her peers at the Augustana College Reading/Writing Center, volunteering as a camp counselor for children affected by a parent’s cancer through Camp Kesem Augustana, and working as a group foster care youth counselor at Family Resources in Davenport, Iowa.

In 2022, Mary moved to Austin for an AmeriCorps service year with Literacy First, providing one-on-one reading support as a Spanish bilingual tutor at Widén Elementary, one of Friends Austin’s partner schools. She returned the following year as a campus leader, strengthening her skills in literacy instruction, relationship building, and Spanish. Her time at Widén and the students she worked with will always hold a special place in her heart.

In her free time, Mary enjoys cooking, going to concerts, watching movies, playing tennis and pickleball, and spending time with her cat, Astro. She believes we can always make a difference in the lives of those around us and is proud to work with an organization like Friends of the Children that aligns with her mission and values.