Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Espinoza.
Hi Marissa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I think I have always been a caretaker since my baby brother was born when I was 10 years old. At 13 I was a teen retreat leader at my church, in high school I was a peer counselor, in college I was a Camp Counselor… you get the picture. By the time I was 22 and had graduated college, I landed my first professional job at Aviva Family & Children’s Services as a Resident Counselor. I didn’t know then but that first job working with “severely emotional disturbed adolescent girls” laid the foundation for the next 30 years of my career.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am a person who believes everything happens for a reason and, while we may not understand the reason, in time, it will reveal itself. Getting to where I am came with necessary struggles. I am the child of immigrant parents and the first in my extended family to complete college. There was no roadmap laid for me on what that path to success would be, no one to help me with college applications, or support me in making career decisions. Starting my career at 22 years old when some of the clients with whom I was working were 19 presented challenges. I learned to act older than my age, be more serious, carry myself with authority, even on that first shift as a 23-year old supervisor at the 36-bed residential treatment facility, when I sat in the office scared to death that something would happen and I would not know what to do. And there have been challenges throughout the past 30 years. Being a woman and a Latina in a professional setting, I have had amazing bosses and mentors and bosses who worked hard to dim my light and undervalued my skills and talents. What I have learned, however, is that there is nothing I cannot overcome and that no matter the outcome of any situation, I have inherent value and there is always a new path I can forge. I have also learned that I don’t have to go at it alone. My mentors, my colleagues turned friends then turned family, and my personal support system have helped me through some difficult situations throughout my career and life in general.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the Executive Director of Alexandria House. Alexandria House was established in 1996 to provide three things – transitional housing, neighborhood services, and systemic change through advocacy. When I became the Executive Director of Alexandria House in July of 2022, it felt like a homecoming of sorts. It felt like all my previous professional experiences working with children and families, supporting transitional aged youth experiencing homelessness and human trafficking, providing comprehensive behavioral, emotional and mental health support to those youth deemed to have the most complex and intensive needs in Ventura County and developing programs and partnerships to support their needs all came together at Alexandria House.
At Alexandria House we provide transitional housing for women and women with children experiencing homelessness, human trafficking and domestic violence. But we do more than just that. We provide them with the supportive services they need to get back on their feet and create the life they deserve for themselves and their children. Childcare, afterschool support, job development, entrepreneurship skills, therapy, support groups, parent education… you name it, we do it or we will find the resource for them. And we support our neighborhood too with food distribution, hygiene product program, and even a thrift store!
What I am most proud of my work at Alexandria House is having had the courage to launch into this role. Sometimes we think we need to check all the boxes to apply for a job… I know I did. But something told me to just go through the process when the Executive Recruiter retained by Alexandria House found me. And I am so glad I did, even though I did not have ALL the experiences/skills the boxes said were required. In the two and a half years that I have been there, I have learned about renovating an apartment building and project managing that renovation, I learned about acquisitions as we purchased the two houses we have called home. I learned more about Quickbooks and accounting than I ever wanted to. I have learned who to steward donor relations with utmost respect and partnership. I upgraded our employee benefits and our IT network too! I am so proud of myself for taking a chance on me!
What are your plans for the future?
Stability is as important for me as for the women and families we serve at Alexandria House. The past three years have been years of tremendous growth for Alexandria House (and me!). My goal is to help Alexandria House achieve stability with a focus of continuing to strengthen our programs as well as our partnerships with other like-minded organizations. I believe no one agency needs to be the expert in everything if we use each other to meet the needs of the folks we serve. My goal is to continue providing the best leadership I can to Alexandria House to help it gain the visibility it deserves.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alexandriahouse.org
- Instagram: @alexandriahousela
- Facebook: Alexandria House
- Linkedin: Alexandria House
