Meet the Mentorship & Workforce Development Team
Maria Rivera
Director, Mentorship & Workforce Development
The year was 2001 when Patrick Magoon, former Lurie Children's CEO, said "yes" to the idea of creating a program that provides early exposure and pathways for teens of color to professional healthcare careers. In the summer of 2001, Maria hosted the first eight Discovering Healthcare Careers ("DHC") students. 20 years later she continues to bring the same passion, enthusiasm and innovation to Lure Children's. As a result of a successful pilot, DHC continues to grow and evolve each year. Maria celebrated 30 years at Lurie Children's in August 2022.
Sharon Alvarado
Program Specialist
Sharon started with our team in 2019 as Program Assistant, and in 2020 she transitioned into our Program Specialist. Sharon also manages our Social Media and Marketing efforts. She graduated from UIC with a BA in Sociology & Political Science. She is a Chicago Native, constantly looking out for resources to help out the community and engaged in community efforts through her work with us and on her own. Sharon has returned to get her Master in Social Work at Loyola Chicago University.
Jose Muñoz
Program Specialist
Jose first got his foot in the door of Lurie Children's in 2015 as an intern for our Discovering Healthcare Careers Program. A year later, Jose was brought back as a Summer Assistant for the 2016 DHC cohort. While working for GEAR UP as a College Access Facilitator, Jose worked with various CPS schools. Jose got his BS from NEIU in 2019. After 5 years with GEAR UP, Jose was hired as our Program Specialist.