"I have high standards,” she adds, “but I believe in helping people reach them.”
One of those people was her own daughter.
Ashley Padilla — also a phlebotomist with ProHealth — remembers visiting her mother’s workplace as a child, watching how patients and colleagues trusted Maria.
“People would ask for her by name,” she recalls. “She made them feel better just by being herself. I wanted to be like that.”
Later, while working at a fast-food chain, Ashley took Maria’s advice and enrolled in her class. “It makes me happy to see where she is now,” Maria says. “She’s young. She’ll go far. I’m very proud of her.”
With natural skill and deep empathy, Ashley quickly made her mark. She understands that patients bring more than lab orders — they bring fear, frustration and stories.
“Sometimes just listening for a minute changes everything,” she says. “One patient gave me a hug. It’s moments like that that remind you why you’re here.”
Ashley’s style reflects her mother’s influence — steady, kind and focused on the person, not just the procedure. “You need to be able to read the room,” she says. “My mom trained me, and she’s still the first person I call when I have a question.”
She and Maria rely on each other, and while working together comes with its particularities, it works. “She’s my mom and a colleague. That’s a lot to navigate,” Ashley says with a laugh.
Above all, their dynamic is grounded in deep love and respect. “Ashley is the nicest, sweetest kid,” Maria says. “She thinks of others before herself. She’s my little bestie.”
Their story is more than a mother and daughter working in the same field. It’s about the way compassionate care is passed from one person to another — through example, trust and daily effort. It’s about how women continue to shape the future of health care — not by seeking recognition, but by doing their jobs with heart.
“You don’t know what someone is going through,” Maria says. “Don’t take things personally. Just be respectful. You never know who’s sitting in your chair.”
And that’s what both Maria and Ashley carry into every room, every day — respect, patience and a quiet, steady kind of excellence.
