Maria
O-6/Major
13 yrs
Currently serving in the Wyoming National Guard
Maria, a first-generation American, was born and raised in Fresno, CA. At an early age she faced many struggles, including family and community violence, abuse, neglect, and racism. Nevertheless, at 17 she moved to Vermont and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with minors in Chinese and Sociology. While in college she served in the U.S. Army Reserves and played collegiate soccer.
She was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army in 2011. Maria was deployed to Afghanistan as a cultural support team leader and as a trainer for the Special Operations Afghanistan Female Tactical Platoon. She served twice as a U.S. Army Company Commander and Senior Logistics Officer for the Airborne Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Moore, GA.
After 13 years of active-duty military service, Maria served in the Wyoming National Guard and as a firefighter for the US Forest Service. She said of her experience with Warrior PATHH:
“Warrior PATHH is a transformational program; it restored my hope and gratitude, helped elevate my faith, and guided me out of an extremely painful, agonizing, depressive, anxious space I found myself stuck in. I felt so torn and detached from my life, husband, and family. The Guides and my Warrior sisters (The Grateful Eight) empowered me to permit myself to live again. I felt so lost and confused with all my suppressed emotions, WP helped me purge all of what I kept locked up for 35 years. I now truly live life and seek new opportunities. They restored my ability to fight. WP cultivated a curiosity and wonder in me, creating a safe space to refit and truly begin my healing journey. WP was the foundational force for peace and healing, which my heart and mind had been seeking for years; WP made me feel seen and understood. I know there is still a lot of hard work ahead of me, but I sincerely believe that WP’s thoughtful, purposeful, intentional, quality training saved my life. I am forever grateful for WP in helping me love and appreciate my story, love and care for my child self, adult present self, and my future self.”
