Marianna was raised in and currently makes her home in North County San Diego. Marianna has over 20 years of experience in diverse areas such as facilitation, mental health, social work, program evaluation, strategic planning, technical assistance, training, and teaching. She is currently a lecturer at Cal State University San Marcos in the department of social work. Her dedication to working with community agencies is grounded in the belief that solutions grow from the strength of community. Throughout her career, Marianna has supported the capacity development of organizations, colleagues, and peers. She is committed to mentoring and supporting first-generation and historically marginalized students and colleagues to develop capacity and confidence to meet the needs of our communities.