Maria Wilson

Maria Wilson, a University of Louisville graduate in Justice Administration with a minor in Art & Communication, who went on to get her Masters in Legal Studies from Washington University in St. Louis Law School. Wilson has pursued many different avenues in her ultimate passion of advocating for those in need which include her story featured in a book written on behalf of Family Scholar House “Stories that Define Us”. Maria’s passion for advocacy and leadership led her to addressing legislature on Capitol Hill regarding Affordable Housing Act, 2016 Leadership Louisville Ignite Graduate, Presenter at the annual Family Scholar House luncheon, Former President of Cards 4 Freedom human trafficking organization, serves on local Speakers Bureau and Social Justice Ministry, and Social justice point of contact for local news organizations. Maria, a graduate of Family Scholar House, has now gone on to work for them as the Director of Affiliates, supporting those who are now walking in the same footsteps that she once did. When Maria is not working she is still advocating alongside her husband Pastoring International House of Praise. Her passion for impacting the community holistically led her and her husband to starting their own Early Learning Center The Elijah Academy, providing an affordable christian comprehensive curriculum she created empowering children socially, spiritually and academically.

Her passion for people and making a difference led to many accomplishments such as; the start of her first book, “My life through my Lens”, sharing the events of her challenging childhood from being a 14 year old teen mom to foster care and how she overcame each obstacle with God’s grace and mercy. In 2023, Maria was nominated by the Mayor’s office and received the 2023 Congressional Leadership Award. In addition to serving the community in her professional life Maria is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated where their mission is to be to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of “Service to All Mankind.” In all of Maria’s accomplishments, the greatest of them all is being a super star sports mom to 5 boys Deveric (22), Bryson (13), Richard III (8), Jackson (6), and Braxton (3) and wife to Richard Wilson II. In Maria’s own words, she is determined to be a success not a statistic so that God may get the glory out of her life.