Hola! My name is Maria Sibley, I am originally from Isabela, Puerto Rico. In 2013, I earned an associate degree in Human Services from Coastline Community College; I will be graduating with a bachelor’s in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma in December of 2020. In January of 2021, I will be starting the journey towards a master’s in Human Relations with a specialization in Diversity, Equity and Social Justice from the University of Oklahoma staring in January 2021.
I had the privilege to live and travel in Europe for thirteen years while my husband served in the military. Having had the chance to be around so many people of different cultures, races, and ethnicities has given me the ability to empathize and understand people who aren’t necessarily like myself and nonetheless find common ground, an important skill in Human Relations. We also lived in Panama where I joined the Army’s Family Readiness Group where I volunteered for many years to help military service members, their spouses and children adjust to military life overseas. While being part of the FRG I learned how difficult military life can be for so many spouses and their children, especially during war time. In 2013 I did an internship with the Family Readiness Group at the Reserve Center in Oklahoma City. During my internship I felt a need to be a voice for the women and children of the military and decided that the best way to do this was to pursue a degree in Human Relations. I would like to use my degree in Human Relations and the knowledge that I gained during the many years I experienced as a military spouse to help the wives, husbands, and children of service members navigate military life and find resources to help them find the support they need. Military life can have many benefits, but it also comes with many challenges not just for the service member but for the family as a whole, In 2015 I did volunteer work for OIC of Oklahoma County, there I had the honor to tutor an adult client in reading, math, and day to day life skills. In the last four months I have been working as a disaster relief support personal, first for Integris Baptist Hospital and now with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.