She is a doctoral student in Anthropology and Social Change at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She holds a MBA from Dominican University of California and BA in Drama from San Francisco State University.
She has worked over 15 years in the non-profit sector, focusing on social services, social justice, and theater.
She has volunteered and visited the refugee camps in Greece and Kurdistan, Iraq, and provided migrant support on the US-Mexico border.
As an anti-war advocate, Mancias has been actively trying to bring the troops home from their overseas misadventures.
She has also been part of the movement against torture and a proponent of closing the prison in Guantanamo.