About
Maria A Reed Stacey has a B.A. in Women’s Studies with a minor in International Security and
Conflict Resolution from San Diego State University. She received her Master’s Degree in Leadership Studies with an emphasis on human rights and a graduate certification in Peace and Global Education from the University of San Diego.
Maria has great experience in working with several NGOs in San Diego, serving in different areas such as human trafficking, refugee health, youth, and housing. Maria has also served as an ambassador at Women Empowerment International for the Indian communities in Sonora, Mexico. In addition, her work as an anti-violence prevention consultant at the city of Compton has enhanced her capacity to prevent violence and create early intervention programs for youth.
Maria serves in different capacities around San Diego County. She worked at the National Conflict Resolution Center as a Community Justice Manager for the South Bay Region. She also served as Chair of the human trafficking education committee and youth protection at Lemon Grove. Maria is certified to administer mental first aid by Mental Health of America, and she acts as a first responder in situations of depression and suicide in the community. She also had served as an outreach representative for UNICEF in San Diego.
Lastly, she served as a long-term board member and former Chair of the Young Professionals for International Cooperation at the United Nations Association San Diego for around six years, during which she worked on numerous projects about the environment, refugees, and human trafficking. She has been a delegate to the 53 sessions of the Status of Women Conference in New York.
A Little More About Me
Service with Passion
I am a passionate woman whose journey has to help her to see life with the face of hope. For many years I experience poverty, language barriers, discrimination. My story is not a discourage one! my story is full of joy, hope, and happiness ! this is why this website is up and running today. Because all of these things I get to be inspired to work for change!
The change comes from the inner conscious desire to have a better life for your loved ones and our own and, as a consequence, to spend the rest of life helping others to thrive.
After I obtained my master's in Leadership and my certification in peace and global education, I decided to utilize many tools I learned over the years from school in my professional life with mentors, professors, and lots of inspiring people. These tools are based on mindfulness practices, Leadership techniques, Alternative dispute resolution strategies, emotional intelligence, and my own theory for human change: Be—Do—Change.
I dedicate this work to my mother, IRENE ASCENCIO, a woman whose educational background was only in a second-grade elementary school. Still, she had taught me something I did not was trained at school. She always told me to look up front, be proud of myself, be fearless, and never give up. I am hoping to contribute with a simple philosophy call: BE DO CHANGE. a path that anyone could follow and become an active participant in changing the way go act at home, at work, an organization, a community, and the world.