Mia Scara (Bus, Mktg’26)
Mia Scara believes that everyone is the sum of their parts, which has proven true through all her life experiences. From joining the Boy Scouts to advocating for feminine products in CU campus bathrooms, she isn’t afraid to follow her passions and push past boundaries.
A natural leader
Scara embodies a leadership attitude, and she has steadily built her skills from a young age, sharpening her confidence and persistence along the way. Her sense of determination was tested in high school when she took a leap of faith and was the first girl to join her Boy Scout troop. She moved forward despite sharp criticism from parents and other members.
As more girls joined, Scara realized she needed to take on additional responsibility so those who came after her felt more accepted. As a result, she was the first girl to get her Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts. Seeing strong girls being empowered set the stage for Scara to embrace more leadership roles in the future.
Scara believes key qualities of successful leaders are to listen, to think big and to embrace uncomfortable situations.
“Uncomfortable situations lead to the most growth,” she said. “Once something starts to become familiar, that’s when you know it’s time to move on to the next new thing.”
The CU difference
Scara grew up in Denver. CU wasn’t her first choice for college, but in-state tuition and her admittance into the Leeds Scholars Program eventually won her over. While she had always been passionate about film, she ultimately chose to major in business, seeing it as a steppingstone for doing anything one wants to do.
Thinking strategically, Scara knew an in-state school would give her the advantage of being debt-free after college. “I also realized I’m a homebody and like being closer to my parents,” she said.
”Uncomfortable situations lead to the most growth.”
Mia Scara (Bus, Mktg’26)
Scara knew she could shine at Leeds both academically and as a creative initiator. Inspired by her early experiences of activism and leadership, she joined Leeds Student Government and was accepted into the Leeds Consulting Group. Through these organizations, she knew she could find opportunities to advocate for change in the community.
Taking action
As a CU Student Government (CUSG) Senator, Scara has written and enacted bills affecting the entire CU student body. Her first priority came from noticing that access to menstrual products in the CU bathrooms was problematic: There was inequitable distribution around campus, no set place for storage, and an overall poor quality of products.
This inspired Scara to develop a CUSG bill to get free and better-quality menstrual products in all the bathrooms across campus. She gained further ideas about how to take on such a daunting project after attending a business leadership conference in Michigan, where she met students from other schools who described their accessibility to better products for women.
“We’re in school to learn, not to worry about whether or not we have a pad or tampon handy,” said Scara.
”We shouldn’t be hindered by what makes us a woman.”
Mia Scara (Bus, Mktg’26)
Studies such as a report demonstrate that challenges connected with menstrual health, including lack of access to products, can hamper women’s education.
“Better menstrual accessibility should be implemented into every aspect of our lives. We shouldn’t be hindered by what makes us a woman,” said Scara.
While the bill is still in progress, Scara hasn’t stopped there. She’s simultaneously working on a bill that will let students donate cans and aluminum to pay off CU parking tickets—an option that was available before COVID—and she’s determined to bring it back.
Making a real-world impact
Within the Leeds Consulting Group, Scara had the opportunity to work on a project with the U.S. Olympic Committee. The committee evaluates “important global factors” to focus on between games to stay relevant during their downtime. Scara’s group was tasked with finding a new system for discovering pressing global factors and determining how they could be implemented into the committee’s marketing and revenue-building strategies. She focused on films and viewer perceptions of the Olympics.
"We were able to give the committee a lot of ideas on what they should be focusing on for future Olympic games,” she said. “I’m excited to see what they end up implementing into their strategic ventures for the future.”
Embracing the unknowns
With a minor in film, Scara hopes to find a future in the film industry, specifically in film acquisition. Her favorite movies include "Silence of the Lambs" and the original "Indiana Jones"—a testimony to her take-charge, action-oriented attitude.
This semester, Scara is pushing herself into her discomfort zone by studying abroad in Madrid, where she will complete classes for her Certificate in Global Business.
“The best way to leave the Leeds bubble and meet new people is to leave the country,” she laughed. Scara also enjoyed a previous travel experience on an FGX program in Tokyo, which she attended through the Leeds Scholars Program.
As a trailblazer and changemaker within the CU community, Scara’s leadership has already made a lasting impact on campus. As she immerses herself in a global business environment, her story isn’t over yet. With her ambitious mindset and innovative spirit, she’s poised to lead wherever her passions take her next.