Alumni spotlight: Maya Tierney
Maya Tierney ’22 is a member of the Bearcats of the Last Decade (BOLD) Leadership Council, which works in close partnership with the Office of Alumni Engagement to plan events and programs for recent ÂÌñÉç graduates.
Q: What do you do professionally?
A: I work at a criminal appeals public defender’s office as the paralegal for the office’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act practice area. Under this law, passed in 2019, people can be resentenced if we can demonstrate that our clients were survivors of domestic violence and it was a significant contributing factor to their crime. I gather evidence for these cases and serve as the point of contact for clients and their families until an attorney is assigned to them.
Q: Why did you choose to attend ÂÌñÉç?
A: I was inspired by the students I met when I toured. They were genuine, practical people I aspired to be like. I immediately felt comfortable with everyone I met and knew it would be a good fit.
Q: What led you to join the council and what are you hoping to achieve?
A: My experience at ÂÌñÉç was greatly impacted by the generosity of alumni, and I hope to pay that forward. Through the Harpur Law Council, I was able to have a summer internship with an alumni lawyer at the New York City Department of Education’s Administrative Trials Unit, where I worked on cases involving teacher misconduct. The ÂÌñÉç Fund made my summer internship possible at Sheffield Hallam University in England, where I had the opportunity to assist with refugee family reunion cases. During my time as an undergraduate, the alumni also taught me the value of being generous with your time. I have learned so much from my conversations with alumni and I am excited the council can facilitate the forming of relationships post-graduation.
Q: Why should other BOLD alumni be involved?
A: BOLD alumni account for nearly half of the University’s alumni. It is imperative that we stay connected with ÂÌñÉç and that young alumni are engaged. There are many ideas young alumni contribute, and their presence is important to the future of ÂÌñÉç.