Maya Washington (she/her/hers)

Placed at Washington Communities for Children

What excites you about being part of the Pathwaves Fellowship? What are you hoping to gain from the experience?

Having the opportunity to learn about policy in the early learning space, networking with community leaders and bonding with my cohort. I’m also really excited about being a part of this first year. I love being the first at things and developing the foundation for the program.

Share a little about your journey and why you are excited about early childhood policy work.

I’ve worked in early learning dating back to my first job at 15. I was raised in family home childcare and have dedicated my life’s work to supporting community through childcare. Shifting from direct service to policy gives me insight into how to build lasting bridges between the two worlds to make sure that more cohesive change is possible.

What are you looking forward to doing at your placement site?

Organizing advocacy week and learning the impact networks, building state-wide relationships within the sector.

What are two things that most people don’t know about you?

I love music and want to learn to do Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).