Our second annual giving campaign ends today! We are $4,000 from reaching our goal of $20,000, which will support our continued growth and ongoing programmatic needs. Thanks to generous donors, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000.
Throughout this month of giving, we are sharing stories from our Fellows and placement sites about the impacts they have seen from their partnership in this first year together. Today, we highlight Maya Ewings, Pathwaves Fellow at Washington Communities for Children (WCFC), and her supervisor, Rachel Hall.
At Pathwaves we build trusting relationships to further shared work, collaboration, and better outcomes for children in Washington.This value is at the center of our partnerships with Fellows and their placement sites. When Maya and Rachel first met, it became clear to them that they needed to build a foundation for their working relationship. Rachel shares, “I had an idea about what it would look like for us to work together, but we have really had to commit to building our professional relationship.”
Core to their work together is this orientation toward growth. Maya explains, “Our growth mindset really impacts everything we do.” She goes on to share that many of their day-to-day practices have come from examining the systems that aren’t working and imagining new ways of doing things. “One thing we have learned to do is take time at the beginning of our weekly check-ins to just chat and be human together.” They use this time to hold space for each other and remember that work is only a piece of who they are as people. Maya continues, “It gives me a sense of belonging and a better understanding of how I fit into the bigger picture. Knowing my role on the team makes the work more meaningful to me. I see the ‘why’ behind what I do and feel more invested in our vision.”
It is this shared vision that keeps them moving forward even when challenges arise. Early in the Fellowship, Maya informed Rachel that she needed more space to share during outward meetings with stakeholders. Together, they developed a strategy to build Maya into the agendas so that she would have designated time to share her ideas and expertise. Maya explains, “It’s easy to get caught up in the problem, but we are always looking for solutions or strategies for navigating things differently. When we have been trying one direction for a while and are running into barriers that we know we cannot change, it’s time to ask ourselves how we can move in another direction to still meet our goals.”
This doesn’t mean that their working relationship always comes easily. Both admit that despite their intentionality, they make mistakes. Rachel shares, “Maya and I have done a really great job of leaning into discomfort. We have moments where something is said or done that doesn’t feel right, and we do our best to address it in the moment.” Maya adds, “having the space to debrief and offer context and perspective is really important.” Together, they have developed processes for naming and addressing challenges in a way that meets their needs, and the needs of the organization.
Through intentionality and honest conversations, Maya and Rachel have built a trusting relationship that sees them through hardship. “When we first started working together, there were huge gaps between us,” Maya shares. “We have worked hard to build bridges that allow us to work well together and understand each other better. We are the proof. Our work together is proof of our shared mindset of growth and commitment to Pathwaves’ vision for impacting the field of Early Childhood Policy.”
