Sociology at WorkMaya June ’15

Maya June ’15 has always been curious about the connection between human experiences and social environments.

“I was a kid that always wanted to understand the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘how’ of the issues that affect society,” she says. “My time at McLean School taught me to think critically and analytically about the world around me.”

Before joining McLean in grade 7, Maya had convinced herself that she didn’t enjoy learning. It wasn’t long before all that changed, however, and she is grateful to her teachers at McLean for encouraging her to get curious, shift perspective, do her research, and think outside the box.

It’s a skill set that served Maya well in high school and put her on a career path, even if she didn’t know it at the time. “As a first-year student at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), I took a sociology course. That’s when everything clicked,” she remembers. “The professor challenged us to explore sociological norms using different frameworks and theories. I thought, ‘this is where I can thrive.’”

Thrive she did, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2019 followed by a master’s in applied sociology, also at UMBC, in 2021. Maya says she felt prepared for a large university education thanks in part to McLean’s focus on self-awareness and advocacy, which helped her understand and access the support she needed to be successful. “I wasn’t ashamed to acknowledge my learning disability and utilize the resources available to me,” she says. It’s a universal challenge, and one that can be made even harder depending on your personal experience or culture. “As a young Black kid, having a learning disability wasn’t the easiest thing to accept. Once I was able to embrace my learning strengths and challenges, I was able to really shine.”

Although Maya had been ambivalent about going to graduate school immediately after undergrad, her family’s encouragement as well as the political climate and, later, the pandemic, gave her direction and drive. An internship with a school in Baltimore helping to create inclusive teacher guides for remote learning fortified Maya’s focus on sociology in the workplace. “I knew I needed to make this my career,” she says, and actively set out to turn her passion into a profession.

She began to build her network of well-established professionals in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which provided her with valuable perspective and some consulting projects. In addition, Maya served on UMBC’s DEI Advisory Board, volunteered at a local afterschool program and food banks, mentored elementary school students, and received a DEI certificate from Cornell University. Maya’s master’s thesis examined the Fortune 100 response to the killing of George Floyd, specifically the nature of related statements issued by leading companies. Maya leveraged this and related research, presenting data on DEI trends to future employers.

Today, Maya works as a DEI specialist for the American Society of Human Genetics, a nonprofit based in Rockville, Maryland, where she’s part of a team focused on efforts to promote an equitable genetic and genomics workforce through policy and professional development. “It’s critical that we create a workforce—and hopefully, one day, a society—that is accessible to and representative of all people regardless of race, ability status, gender, sexual orientation, etc.,” says Maya.

“McLean helped mold my belief around the true value of an ‘equitable environment,’” she says. “They are able to meet students where they are academically while being intentional about generating an inclusive space for students to thrive.”