March Volunteer Spotlight – Mary Katherine Mayer, ACP

NALA Volunteer Spotlight – March 2024
Mary Katherine Mayer, ACP

Mary Katherine Mayer, ACP, serves on NALA’s Professional Development Committee (PDC). She works for the Yavapai County Public Defender’s Office in Northern Arizona. She has an AAS in paralegal studies with honors. Mary is proud to have received an award for working for the Public Defender’s Office for five years.

Mary started volunteering on the PDC in 2023.

“I wanted to help other paralegals have all the tools they need to succeed,” she said. “NALA is exactly the platform I was looking for.”

Being on a committee with NALA was the ideal situation for Mary, who enjoys being a paralegal and is always looking for more opportunities for education and networking. Her favorite part of volunteering for NALA is knowing that she is going to make a difference in someone’s professional life.

Mary has been a NALA member since 2020.

“You can tell NALA wants you to succeed.”

She also received her Certified Paralegal (CP^®) credential in 2020. Her new job required her to get certified, and she already wanted to get her NALA certification.

“I studied, studied, and (did I say) studied. It took me a couple of tries. The day I found out I passed, I printed out the results and ran upstairs to my manager’s office. We both cried. Since then, it has opened up so many doors for me. It still amazes me. I am not finished yet.”

Since then, Mary has received two Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP^®) credentials in Criminal Litigation and Trial Practice.

Mary has a desire to connect with other paralegals. She attended NALA’s conference for the first time in 2023 and witnessed the friendships people had made through NALA.

Her advice to other NALA members is, “Keep pursuing your dream. Do not let others tell you that you are not good enough. If you do not succeed, please keep going. Your hard work and dedication will help you come through.”

When she is not working, Mary likes to write, watch sports, and spend time with her husband and son. Mary’s favorite saying is “Never give up.” Growing up, people told her she would not amount to anything, so she was determined to prove them wrong.

“Through hard work and perseverance, I did it! I went back to school later in my life. I am an Advanced Certified Paralegal. I am involved in a national paralegal association. I like to think my parents are proud of me in Heaven.”

Mary’s role model is her great-grandmother, who played the piano for silent movies. She encouraged Mary to follow her dreams no matter what people said. That is how she approaches her life and career.

Mary wants to inspire paralegals and give them opportunities to better their skills and knowledge. She hopes to continue volunteering for NALA once her time is up with the PDC.