Irma Encarnación is a Former Associate Director of Admissions at Dartmouth and Barnard College, with 15 years of experience reviewing applications at top U.S. universities. She began her career guiding students through the admissions process and later applied a strengths-based approach to her work. Passionate about expanding opportunities for students, she has led initiatives in alumni engagement, multicultural recruitment, communications, and DEI efforts. Most recently, she worked at Spencer Stuart, recruiting leaders in education, nonprofits, and higher education.

Laila holds an AB in Social Studies with an emphasis on post-colonial theory and history from Harvard University, and an MM from the New England Conservatory in Jazz Voice. While in college, she held leadership roles on the Undergraduate Council, the Arts & Humanities Student Board, and a variety of activist organizations, including the Harvard Graduate Student Union.