Today we’d like to introduce you to Mari Sampedro-Iglesia.
Mari, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I arrived with my parents from Cuba in 1969 at the age of six during President Johnson’s Freedom Flights. We moved to New Jersey, but quickly came to Miami where I grew up. All my life the law intrigued me. Consequently, I attended University of Miami where I graduated from law school in 1988. I worked as an attorney where my practice consisted of a little bit of everything from civil to family and even criminal defense work. In 2008, I was elected as judge without opposition to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. I was assigned to the Juvenile Division/Unified Family Court. Although most judges stay in this division for a short period of time, I fell in love with the division and developed a passion for the children appearing before me. I remained in the Juvenile Division for my entire ten year career as a judge! While I was on the bench I developed a court that is recognized as the first of its kind in the nation, GRACE Court. Grace Court continues to service children that are victims of human trafficking. The Court services all children that are part of the dependency, delinquency or family court system if they are identified as a victim, or at risk of becoming a victim, of human trafficking. Since leaving the bench in 2019, I have continued to advocate for children while trying to bring attention to human trafficking. I also wrote a book entitled Heroes Among Us. It follows my family’s journey when my husband fought and won his battle against cancer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always struggles along the way. When I started GRACE Court, I initially received a lot of resistance because some people saw it simply a “runaway court.” Children that are victims of human trafficking do often run away. After the initial push back, I composed a team consisting of the various child welfare agencies – the state attorney’s, the public defenders, the therapists, the school board, among others, joined forces. As I would say and continue to say, “don’t tell me about the problem, tell me the solution.” We made it work. The children themselves face more struggles and challenges. Some kids endure so much trauma that it is difficult to get them to open up, be receptive to services, and trust others. Many of these children do not see themselves as victims. But we learned how to deal with the situation. We developed mutual respect for one another. I learned from the children, as I hope they learned from us. The therapists never gave up on them. I never gave up on them. There were challenging, difficult, and even dark days, but the rewards were immense.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Since I left the bench, I have continued to advocate for children, being on several panels worldwide to explain how to make a court like GRACE Court work. I also am involved with MAZE Resolutions. We focus on alternative dispute resolutions. We focus on mediations, arbitrations, general magistrate work, and even serve as neutral umpires. The Court system can be exhausting, both emotionally and financially. MAZE helps you navigate the court system.
How do you think about happiness?
Resolving issues, finding creative solutions and being a voice to those that cannot speak. I have been blessed by many things, but only by the Grace of God. Many do not have that opportunity or that chance in life. It is easy to look at a homeless person and think, “why don’t you work like I do?” But in reality, do we know their circumstances or why or how they up in the predicament they find themselves in? Many people find themselves in a vicious circle that, due to circumstances beyond their control, whether it is socio-economic, racial discrimination, or simply their family circumstances, do not have the same opportunities as others.
Contact Info:
- Email: msi@mazeresolutions.com
- Website: mazeresolutions.com
- Instagram: mazeresolutions
- Facebook: MAZE Resolutions PA
