My Why: Maria Horgan

My Why:

My ‘why’ is rooted from the start of my journey: I was adopted from Pakistan at nine months old into a military family, which meant growing up in a world of high stakes, big responsibilities, and my dad flying planes for over 20 years in and out of the military. This also shaped our family dynamic with my mom acting as a “single parent” at times, giving me a holistic perspective on people and their behaviors. While that gave me a massive respect for the military and first responder communities, it also taught me that ‘toughing it out’ can sometimes lead to a cloud of repressed feelings and unresolved trauma. 

I’ve navigated my own battles with substance use and trauma, and no stranger to the “mental fog” we can call encounter at times. I enjoy never being the smartest person in the room and genuinely love to learn from others and their experiences. Engaging in casual conversations with anyone, finding a common hobby, and turning a room of strangers into a community are some of the things I like to call “fun” at Warriors Heart. 

I’m passionate about residential care because I love seeing the lights come back on for people. I combine my lived experience with an ability to find common ground with just about anyone—whether we’re talking about deep recovery or just the best way to spend a day. My goal is to help military and first responder families clear the wreckage of the past and get back to their best selves, one connection at a time.