Marina grew up in a White Russian household surrounded by music and religion, and also with an acute sensibility for social justice. After completing a degree in classical ballet, Marina had a successful career in development, which culminated in securing funding to provide non-profit housing and services for low-income older adults in the Detroit Metro area. In 2016, she returned home to California and joined the staff of Crown College as College Academic Programs Coordinator (CAPC). Marina is thrilled to provide support for Provost Manel Camps’ innovative and robust academic program for Crown College, which includes Core, Crown’s extensive honors curriculum, and Science Learning Community.
Marina’s experience in the area of programming and development strongly synergizes with the provost’s outreach to alumni, which includes programming for Alumni Day weekend, the creation of the Crown Alumni Council, and opportunities for alumni to participate in Core classes. Marina finds her work supporting Crown as a lifelong community of learning and engagement truly fulfilling, and her enthusiasm for the college’s mission is contagious. Marina looks forward to working with Crown’s devoted alumni to launch a Campaign to double Crown’s endowment, and thus permanently support Crown’s academic programming.
Recognized for “always finding a way to turn crazy ideas and incomplete information into a workable plan with phenomenal results,” Marina is honored to be a part of an amazing Crown staff and to serve alongside her fellow CAPCs whose job it is to work across all UC departments.
Marina is a passionate activist for women’s rights and a consummate storyteller. If you walk into her office you are guaranteed to hear at least one story… and her stories often honor the principle that reality is more incredible than fiction. Marina’s nice fit with Crown and her amazing rapport with our students, faculty and alumni may sound like a fairy tale but it is very real. We are very lucky to have her.
