Maryann Mingrino ’21 is motivated by helping people. Seeing her clients eventually go to university, get a job and have a full life is what keeps her going every day. Mingrino earned her BS in criminology and justice studies at Drexel University in 2021, followed by her MS in justice, law and criminology at American University in 2023. She currently works for Family Support Line Children's Advocacy Center as an advocate, taking on victims, primarily of trafficking, as clients. She helps them through the judicial system on the journey to getting justice and building a better life.
"Going into this field, I wanted to help people who needed support as they navigated any part of the criminal justice system," Mingrino recalled. "Drexel’s criminal justice education focused more on working with individuals within the justice system, but my role now is the opposite: I work with victims."
That distinction has become an important part of Mingrino’s work. While many of her coworkers do not have a criminal justice background, her criminology and justice studies education gave her a foundation for understanding not only the people affected by the system, but also how the system itself operates. Drexel’s criminology and justice studies curriculum combines criminological and justice theory with practical applications, covering topics ranging from the structure of the criminal justice system and crime policy to corrections, community justice and comparative justice systems. The program also incorporates research methods, analytics and community-based learning, giving students opportunities to connect what they learn in the classroom to real-world issues.
For Mingrino, that broad perspective has been particularly valuable in her work with victims. Her experience studying the criminal justice system while also learning about the social and community impacts of crime allows her to approach clients with an understanding of both sides of the process. Rather than simply explaining what a client may encounter, she can help them understand why certain procedures exist and what navigating the system may actually look like.
“My Drexel experience was helpful in managing clients’ understanding of what the system does and what it is truly like, because through our coursework, we saw it firsthand,” she explained.
Mingrino started her career at an immigration law firm. She noted that the best advice she has for current Drexel students studying criminal justice is to get their foot in the door any way they can, because it will open many other opportunities into the sector they want to end up in. As an advocate at the Center, she sits in on about three interviews a day with a forensic interviewer who asks questions to make sure a child is happy, healthy and safe, and also make sure they know they have a safe place to disclose if they’ve been abused.
Many of her cases are trafficking victims or victims of sex labor, and she works with these victims in every step of the process. She goes with them to the hospital if they need tests done, accompanies them to court, although she cannot testify, sets up meetings with the district attorney and sits in on them, and is generally present for everything. Not only does Mingrino serve as an advocate, but she also serves as a mentor, helping them these victims get into therapy, with academic related issues and assisting them in getting jobs.
“Specifically trafficked victims, I help them with employment and education to make sure they don’t fall back into getting trafficked. A lot of the time, my clients are children, but they’re knowingly making these decisions, so I do my best to help them understand good judgment and decision-making,” she explained.
A lot of people don’t even realize these services exist; that advocates are there to help them. Cases are complex and every situation is different. Mingrino wants the victim and their mental health to come first, and for justice to be served no matter what that may look like, because it looks different in every situation. She is motivated by seeing her clients being able to move on with their lives, knowing she helped them get there. Previous clients still reach out to her for advice or to tell her about milestones they’ve reached, and while that’s not part of the job, it reinforces why she’s continuing in the field.
“I want to continue doing this job and stay in this field for as long as I can," Mingrino said. "I make sure to prioritize myself when I’m not working, and put my clients first when I am. When you want to help others, you also have to help yourself.”