Serena was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon. As an undergraduate, she studied at American University's School of International Service in Washington, D.C. There, she earned a Bachelor's in International Relations with a focus in African Studies. Following her graduation, she served with the U.S. Peace Corps as a Community Health and HIV/AIDS Educator in Phonjwane, Swaziland, where she worked with the National Emergency Response Commission for HIV/AIDS and the international NGO World Vision. Following her service, she decided to move home to her favorite place in the world, the Pacific Northwest, where she earned a Master's in Public Administration and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management at the University of Oregon. While in graduate school, she served as a member of the Board of Directors at Court-Appointed Special Advocates of Lane County and as a project associate at the Community Service Center, where she worked on economic development and city planning projects for rural towns in Oregon.