Title: Director of Fostering Youth Success Alliance
Company: Children’s Aid
Location: VA/USA
Education: Master of Public Policy, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia (2022); BS in Education, Youth and Social Innovations, Concentration in Policy, University of Virginia (2021)
Career History: Youth Advisory Council Co-Facilitator, Culture Reframed (2025-Present); Director of Fostering Youth Success Alliance, Children’s Aid (2025-Present); Young Professionals Board Member, Day One, NY (2025-Present); Youth Coalition Member, World Without Exploitation (2024-Present); Policy Associate, Rights4Girls (2024-2025); Public Policy Fellow, National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) (2024); Public Policy and Legislative Assistant, The Center for Victims of Torture (2023); Lead 5th/6th Grade Summer Teacher, All-Year School Counselor for Pre K-6th, National Presbyterian School (2022-2023); Graduate Justice Fellow, Madison House (2021-2022); Public Policy Intern, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) (2021); Residential Life Intern and Coach, Virginia Episcopal School (2020); Curry School of Education Student Ambassador, University of Virginia (2019-2020); Reading and Academic Development Research Assistant, University of Virginia (2019-2020); Youth Program Development Intern, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (2020); Cultural Orientation Assistant, International Rescue Committee (2019-2020); Teacher, Higher Achievement (2019); EdPolicyWorks Research Assistant, University of Virginia (2018-2019)
Ashley Nicole Staggers, Director of Fostering Youth Success Alliance at Children’s Aid, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.
Ms. Staggers has always naturally gravitated toward a career in criminal justice. Her father owned a catering company that employed recently incarcerated individuals, and she was encouraged from a young age to become a lawyer, stemming from her love of debate. As she grew up, she developed a desire to effect change and felt that policy work was a natural extension of that.
While studying at the University of Virginia, Ms. Staggers was active there as an EdPolicyWorks research assistant, an educator, a reading and academic development research assistant, and a Curry School of Education student ambassador. In addition, she served as a youth program development intern at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and residential life intern and coach at Virginia Episcopal School. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in education, youth and social innovations, and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Virginia in 2021 and 2022, respectively, she was active as a public policy intern at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and a graduate justice fellow at the Madison House.
Ms. Staggers subsequently found success as a lead fifth- and sixth-grade summer teacher and an all-year school counselor for pre-K through sixth grade at the National Presbyterian School from 2022 to 2023. She then worked for a year at the Center for Victims of Torture, where she learned more about the criminal justice system, particularly concerning the experiences of women within it. During this time, she went abroad for months and, unfortunately, became a victim of sexual assault. The traumatic experience led her to recognize the significant intersection between the criminal justice system and issues of sexual violence and abuse, prompting her to shift her focus to these critical issues. She subsequently became a public policy fellow within the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and a policy associate with Rights4Girls.
Ms. Staggers has excelled as a member of the World Without Exploitation youth coalition since 2024 and has served as the director of the Fostering Youth Success Alliance at Children’s Aid and as a youth advisory council co-facilitator at Culture Reframed since 2025. In addition, she currently holds the title of Miss Manhattan 2026, having been Miss New York in 2025. During her time in New York, she organized a panel discussing the challenge of labeling sexual violence. After the panel, a girl approached her in tears, expressing gratitude, which was a notable moment in Ms. Staggers’ professional life. As a further testament to her work and dedication, she was recognized among the Power Women of Manhattan, which honors the city’s “fearless females.”
Looking toward the future, Ms. Staggers aims to pass a comprehensive sex education law in New York, hoping to make it the first state to adopt such legislation, which would include a component on sexual violence education.