Ashley-Michelle Papon

Originally from a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas, Ashley-Michelle Papon (she/her) has made her home in California since 2009. In that time, she has been afforded numerous opportunities to passionately advocate for justice in health care spaces, particularly in accessibility, equity, and parity. Since adopting Chico as her hometown, she has had the privilege of working with several incredible local nonprofit organizations, including Safe Space Winter Shelter, the Stonewall Alliance Center, and Northern Valley Indian Health. Previously, Papon had the honor of working with Debate Kansas City, the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, Better Beginnings for Babies, and Improving Birth. With a strong command of the written word, an immutable desire to be part of the change worth believing in, and a razor-sharp wit, she has been an indefatigable voice working to advance the interests of marginalized folks.

In addition to her position as a Project Coordinator with MCN, Papon serves as the social media coordinator for AAPC Publishing, the media liaison for the message board After Silence, fundraising coordinator for the Hunger Trolley Helper’s Group, a steering committee member for the PAC Stand Up for Chico, and a member of the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network’s Speakers Bureau. A former debater who earned the distinction of being the first woman to earn triple gold awards at the Phi Rho Pi National Debate Tournament in individual and team debate simultaneously, Papon maintains a vigorous schedule of speaking engagements. Nationally recognized for her experience on the subject of sexual violence, she has been interviewed by The Huffington Post, the Joy Keys Radio Show, Fox News, the Ask Dr. Nandi TV show, Cosmopolitan, and as part of a panel of experts including playwright Eve Ensler for the BBC. She is also prolific writer, whose work has appeared in The Kansas City Star, Guerrilla Feminism, Global Shift, Crooks and Liars, Feministing, Adios Barbie, Medium, and excerpted across numerous books on topics as varied as coping with eating disorders to depictions of racism in pop culture.

Papon is married to an attorney, with whom she has been happily arguing for 16 years. Together, they are raising three children, four cats, and a menagerie of chickens. In what little free time she has, she can be found enjoying online gaming, reading Tarot cards, shopping on Poshmark, and gardening while listening to true crime podcasts.

Ashley-Michelle Papon
Coordinadora de proyectos | Chico, California
Originaria de un suburbio de Kansas City, Kansas, Ashley-Michelle Papon ha establecido su hogar en California desde 2009. En ese momento, se le han brindado numerosas oportunidades para abogar apasionadamente por la justicia en los espacios de atención médica, particularmente en accesibilidad, equidad y paridad. Desde que adoptó a Chico como su ciudad natal, ha tenido el privilegio de trabajar con varias organizaciones locales sin fines de lucro increíbles, incluyendo Safe Space Winter Shelter, Stonewall Alliance Center y Northern Valley Indian Health. Anteriormente, Ashley-Michelle tuvo el honor de trabajar con Debate Kansas City, el Proyecto contra la violencia de Kansas City, Mejores comienzos para bebés y Mejoras al nacer. Además de su posición como coordinadora de Proyectos con MCN, Ashley-Michelle también es miembro de la Oficina de Oradores de la Red Nacional de Violación, Abuso e Incesto (RAINN), bloguera colaboradora del sitio de examen de problemas de identidad Adiós Barbie, los medios enlacen para After Silence, un mentor para The Center: A Place for Hope, miembro de Order of the Eastern Star, y una doula certificada (ayudante en parto). Le encanta un buen debate, habiéndose ganado la distinción de ser la primera mujer en ganar premios triples de oro en el Torneo de Debate Nacional Phi Rho Pi. También es donde conoció a su esposo, Barrick, con quien ha estado felizmente discutiendo durante 15 años. Juntos, están criando a tres niños, dos gatos, dos perros y una colección de gallinas. Otros intereses de Ashley-Michelle incluyen juegos en línea, leer cartas del tarot, comprar en Poshmark y escribir. Con un fuerte dominio de la palabra escrita, un deseo inmutable de ser parte del cambio en el que vale la pena creer, y un ingenio agudo, ha sido una voz activa que trabaja para promover los intereses de las personas marginadas.