“What happened to me wasn’t a bad thing,” she says. “… It was preparing me for my mission, because had I not gone through this … I would have never realized that, in this job, I can do some good.” She recognizes that some people have had it a lot worse than her, and cites her strong faith and education, both of which were nurtured by her parents, as the main reasons she was able to survive. She knows that many people don’t have either and is driven to help them. She developed a passion for helping survivors of domestic abuse after working in west Columbus. She saw how many immigrant women suffer from domestic violence because, if they disappeared, no one would know. After talking to these women, she became more determined than ever to empower all people, but especially women. She wanted them to know that somebody would notice if they were gone. “I realized that society has taken (women) and put us into little boxes, to forget what happened to us and to not talk about it or help other women,” she says. But she wants people to talk about it. As director of Belle Harbour Management of Ohio, she puts her philosophy into practice. She manages in a compassionate way and stands up for her residents and employees, whether that means making sure the police take her people’s concerns seriously or giving someone a break on their rent when they’re in need. She rewrites policy in their favor and recently made sure the language used is gender neutral to include queer relationships. She treats her employees like family, makes sure they have PTO and even lets them bring their kids into work. Anamaria also makes blessing bags for organizations that empower women and people who struggle with opioid abuse. She also gives them to people who come into her office to pay rent, especially men, because it really brightens their day. She is proud that her views are constantly evolving and believes in the power of paying it forward and giving back. “ People already have what it takes, they just need a little bit of help. ” Her life is very good now, with beautiful grandchildren, a job she loves, a community that she believes in and works for, a husband who supports her and lets her be herself, a daughter who is her pride and joy, and a close-knit group of Latina friends who keep her sane. She keeps God in her life, and knows that her strong faith, which she got from her mother and passes down to her daughter and grandchildren, that has guided her to acting on her mission every day. “(People) already have what it takes, they just need a little bit of help,” she says. “… If we’re successful, then we have an opportunity (to do that).” Aislinn Klosterman Aislinn Klosterman is an intern and writer for EnVision Proven Success and a student at The Ohio State University. ENVISIONPROVENSUCCESS.COM | 9
10 Publizr Home