Mariel Branagan

About Mariel

• In high school, she watched a lot of Law & Order: SVU—admits she was inspired to pursue her career because of the character, Dr. Huang.
• Attended Old Dominion University where she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminal justice.
• Took a gap year before going to graduate school and volunteered for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, where she worked as a referral specialist.
• She then went on to attend Marymount University where she received her master’s degree in forensic and legal psychology.
• In order to satisfy the requirements for her graduate degree, she interned at Friends of Guest House, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women re-enter the community after incarceration.
• After her internship was over, she managed to secure a full-time position working there as a Program Coordinator.
• While there, she helped start up their workforce development program, which helped women find employment after being incarcerated.
• She is now the Deputy Program Manager for the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), which helps credential military sexual assault victim advocates.