MARIA SANTIAGO-VALENTINE

POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG) INTERVIEW WITH:

MARIA SANTIAGO-VALENTINE (MSV)

PGMAG: Maria, so good to have you on today’s interview.

MSV: Thank you Lady Anita for the privilege of being featured in your prestigious International magazine, and for being able to share a little of myself with your readers.

PGMAG: Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

MSV: Let me start by saying that I am an educator with 26 years of experience. I taught in Puerto Rico, Connecticut and New Jersey, USA. I am currently a Learning Disabilities Consultant and case manager of the Child Study Team since 2014 in a high school in New Jersey. I am an author, an education and environmental justice activist, and a mother of two adult daughters. I am the award winning author of the Book: Bipolar Disorder Etiology and Treatment Overview, available in Amazon.

PGMAG: How would you describe your style of leadership?

MSV: I am more than a facilitator and coach. In the ALL LADIES LEAGUE NEW JERSEY for BUSINESS NETWORKING Chapter that I shared, I facilitate connections among the members while trying to highlight my members’ superpowers, talents, and achievements. I consider myself a servant leader, since where I model the behaviours I expect from the members on other spaces, I found myself leading and organizing environmental and community organizations.

I began to work as a Volunteer Climate Leader locally with Organizing for Action (OFA), a grassroots organization founded by Former President Barack Obama.

PGMAG: You are an advocate for Climate Justice, and you are actively involved in global propagation of this mission. Please tell us about this aspect of your work.

MSV: I began my commitment after I was trained personally by Former Vice President Al Gore by his NGO Climate Reality Project in 2017 in Chicago US. Then I began to work as a Volunteer Climate Leader locally with Organizing for Action (OFA), a grassroots organization founded by Former President Barack Obama. I organized events and rallies in New Jersey. In 2017 I created the New Jersey Coalition for Climate Justice that later evolved into the Atlantic Climate Justice Alliance, a legal NGO in July 12, 2020 with the help of other 2 members who are Trustees like me. The mission of our organization has three principles: environmental and climate justice education, humanitarian relief and environmental and social justice advocacy. I founded a blog the Global Awareness Project for Climate Justice. I am the author of Chapter 24 “Climate Crisis and Education” of the Anthology Climate Abandoned edited by Jill Cody.

PGMAG: What are some of the measures needed to support the mental wellbeing of the people we serve?

MSV: First we need to understand the strengths and challenges of the individuals that we manage, and the best way to help them reach their full potential. As leaders we need to listen to the individuals we lead and serve, offer them recognition, praise, encouragement, and support them in areas that might not be related to the role they have in our organization or business - Leading with firmness and compassion. I have seen those qualities in many supervisors and directors I have worked for.

PGMAG: Please share some of your global accomplishments with us.

MSV: I am the Chairperson of the ALL LADIES LEAGUE NEW JERSEY for BUSINESS NETWORKING Chapter since May 2020.

• June 2020 - Appointed as International Co-President of Ufuongo Community Development Project - Kenya/ Global Ambassador

• July 2020- Iconic Woman Creating a Better World Award – Women

• Economic Forum in Bangalore, India.

• March 2020 - Nominated for the Global WinTrade Awards for Non-Profit Organizations

• November 2020 - Finalist among 400 nominations for the 2020 Global WinTrade Awards

• November 2019 – Awarded and Appointed as Honorary

Life Member of All Ladies League Women Economic Forum November 2019 1st Place – Royal Dragonfly Book Awards – Special Needs/ Disability Awareness Category for my eBook - https://www.amazon. com/Bipolar-DisorderMindfulness-MedicationAccommodations-ebook/ dp/B07MB87ZLJ October 2019- Inducted at the National Society of Leadership and Success by Walden University

If I changed the setbacks and the decisions that caused pain to me and others, I would not be the person that I am today. In fact, I needed to experience all of that to be in the space, and to have the mental awareness level that I have now.

PGMAG: Please talk to us about ‘mindful living’

MSV: ‘Mindful Living’ is to recognize that we have to bring ourselves to the present moment and apply the principles of mindfulness in our lives…To live with simplicity. To use our senses to enjoy and experience what happen to us now. To live in constant gratitude and to pay attention to our surroundings and environment amidst the chaos or busy time we are living.

PGMAG: As a global influencer, what are the top three keys to living a life of fulfilment?

MSV: Gratitude, sense of Hope, and Resilience.

PGMAG: What is your message for world leaders?

MSV: The world leaders are extremely focused into finding solutions for their communities, and I commend them for their fast approach to deal with the global pandemic. Please include the voice and feedback of the communities you are serving. In order to solve their real needs, please listen to their voices, and to use the top down approaches that create legislation, you would need the bottom up approach by bringing the voice of different stakeholders before crafting policies and regulations. Selfcare is also important. To be able to give from ourselves, our mental, emotional and physical well-being needs to be taken care of. One more thing to our wonderful world leaders, thank you for all that you do.

PGMAG: If you knew what you know now, what would you do differently?

MSV: If I changed the setbacks and the decisions that caused pain to me and others, I would not be the person that I am today. In fact, I needed to experience all of that to be in the space, and to have the mental awareness level that I have now.

PGMAG: What would you say to your younger self?

MSV: Relax, everything will be fine.

PGMAG: Thank you once again for granting us this interview.

MSV: Like I said before it has been an honour to be included in the edition of this prestigious magazine. I am deeply grateful for sharing a little about me with the world.

PGMAG: Please share your links with us.

MSV: Email: msant860@aol.com, sra.santiagosphs@gmail.com

Twitter: Maria1Stgo

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3kdVNSatDzKzx3xNvqlWMQ/videos

Academia: http://waldenu.academia.edu/MariaSantiagoValentin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariasantiago1966

Blogs: https://globalclimatejustice35286659.wordpress.com/author-bloggermaria-santiago-valentin/

My Book: https://www.amazon.com/Bipolar-Disorder-MindfulnessMedicationAccommodations-ebook/dp/ B07MB87ZLJ