Maya Goertemoeller on Service with Passion, Purpose, and Inclusion

Photography provided by Pixxel Designs.

“Best all-around gal” was how the C-Ring Women's Leadership Award was first presented in 1922. It was an award given by the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department. The award, like the world around it, has evolved and transformed in the more than 100 years since it was first presented.

The C-Ring award is now presented by the UC Women’s Center and is awarded to a woman-identifying or non-binary graduating senior student who demonstrates outstanding leadership on and off campus. Faculty and staff nominate students, and the lengthy selection process begins. Through rounds of interviews and applications, five final nominees are ultimately chosen, with one winner picked by the selection committee.

On April 12, the UC Women’s Center, with Dana Bisignani as its director, hosted the annual C-Ring Award ceremony. Several honors were awarded to outstanding students and faculty for their work in uplifting the inner and outer UC community. The nominees for the C-Ring Award were introduced and gave a short speech about their accomplishments.

Presented that evening by the 2023 C-Ring winner Soumya Jaiswal, the 2024 C-Ring winner is Maya Goertemoeller.

Maya Goertemoeller has ensured the work she has accomplished at the University of Cincinnati continues, even as she graduates – and it is a long list of accomplishments. As the Assistant Director of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) program at her sorority, Chi Omega, she worked with organizations on campus to incorporate inclusive initiatives at UC’s Greek life and plan events to uplift diversity and celebrate inclusion.

Maya’s work has also extended into advocating for mental and postpartum health. As a part of her program at UC’s medical college, she volunteered with Mercy Health’s postpartum and community health programs as well as with the local nonprofit 1 in 5. At 1 in 5, she developed social media projects and educational programming to spread awareness about the importance of mental health. She found a passion in working with students and children to help them understand the importance of self-care and wellness. It is a subject she is personally invested in and one that took her back to her former high school.

On the night of the C-Ring award ceremony, Maya told the story of when she was 12, and her mom enrolled her in a women in science camp at UC. Maya entered the classroom and sat quietly at the back. That day, they were making lip gloss out of Vaseline, food coloring, and essential oils. At the end of the class, she hesitantly put her lip gloss on the judge’s table. The next day, she walked into the classroom to find a blue ribbon next to her lip gloss. For the rest of the camp, she sat excitedly at the front of the room. Maya understands the power of inclusive spaces and programs – places where communities can thrive.

With summer quickly approaching, and as Maya prepares to enter medical school, I sat down with her to talk about her achievements, how she ensures her legacy will continue on, and where she’s going next.

Interview by Olivia Taylor.

Photography provided by Pixxel Designs.

In your speech at the C-Ring award ceremony, you told the story of when you were 12, you participated in a women-in-engineering camp, and after that positive experience, you wanted to find that same sense of community. Can you talk about how, when you came to UC, you found that community, or even fostered a community of your own?

When I came to campus, it was during the pandemic, so things definitely looked a little bit different. One of the communities that was built-in for me was the Turner Scholars program. It's a program for minority students, and it was just neat to already have a group of students who understood what my background was like and got to know people from all different majors. We had meetings freshman year every week, and it was something I looked forward to, that little Zoom call. Every Monday night, we got to see people and talk about what was going on.

Around the same time, I went through sorority recruitment and joined Chi Omega, and I think that has been my favorite community that I've been a part of on campus. It sounds cliché, but I really found a sisterhood. There's a line in our symphony where they call it a sisterhood of high purpose and helpfulness. That is something that really drew me to Chi Omega – finding people with similar values who wanted to find a community on campus, but also use that to make a difference in the community.

You were Assistant Director of the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) program at your sorority. I wanted to talk about how important intersectionality is to your work because sometimes I think people see these things as separate when we are at our most powerful when we support each other. Can you talk a little bit more about your work with intersectionality?

In the sorority space, it makes a lot of sense to think about why sororities were first started. When they started out, it was a time when women really didn't go to college, and so they started because women wanted a space to talk to each other about their experiences and what it was like being the only girl in the classroom. But at the same time, they've historically left out certain communities. As someone who's biracial, I think I have a unique understanding of that, being half-white and half-Indian. When I went through recruitment, there were not a lot of people who looked like me. It’s really interesting to think about how, on one hand, this is a space that's supporting me as a girl in college, especially going into the field of medicine. But at the same time, it's not a space that is always inclusive to everyone. When the Black Lives Matter movement started to resurge in 2020, sororities had many overdue DEI positions created. It was really a treat to be a part of thinking about what that looks like. The biggest thing for me was answering the question of why this belongs in Greek life.

*Photography provided by Pixxel Designs.*

I think some people felt like it was reactionary, but I think it makes sense in a space where the goal is to support each other and build community in order to feel like you belong. DEI is a critical part of that. It was really cool to take the lens of intersectionality and think about how we didn't just make sororities a space where everyone could show up, but where everyone would want to show up and feel safe.

You mentioned it already, but historically, sororities have been thought of as almost exclusive, even segregated, places where only certain people feel welcome. How do you go about learning about and reckoning with that history, making sure that history isn't covered up, but also making sure the sorority is still a welcoming space?

One of the things that I worked on while I was overseeing all the sororities’ DEI programs was a DEI workshop over the summer. The first day was focused on answering the question, “Why is DEI important in Greek life?” We had representatives from the Office of Ethnic Programs & Services at UC come in and talk about the history because I do think it's really important to recognize that history and not just move forward. We talked about, specifically on UC's campus, some of the things that have happened over the years and how they haven't always been the most inclusive spaces.

At other universities, it's been interesting to see some of the movements that have been happening, like Abolish Greek Life, and why some people want to get rid of them altogether. But I think there is something really valuable about the communities in Greek life and the ways that they allow you to lead and serve together. By recognizing that and making sure it's a critical part of new member education, I think it's really cool to think about how we can re-imagine why they were started in the first place, which is ultimately to find a home and to do good together.

How do you make sure that, after your graduation, these initiatives will last?

One thing that really needed to be worked on within the sorority was bylaw revision. So most of our Greek life organizations have a set of bylaws and create clauses with all different kinds of circumstances, whether it be financial situations or otherwise. I wanted to focus on recruitment during my time at Greek life; that’s how people join the organization. Some of the things I suggested doing were sending out letters to groups like the Turner Scholars, letting people know that these are spaces where they have a home on campus. Doing a little bit extra to reach out to those communities is important. Another event that I've seen continue after I've finished up there is called the Week of Women, now it's called Meraki Week – which is a Greek word for someone's passion. That has been really cool to see that evolve since I started it and to see it benefit the YWCA, which is a great organization based in Cincinnati.

*Maya with her family. Photography provided by Pixxel Designs.*

Back when I was in that position, it was programming and outreach, and now it's split up into two positions, DEI and programming. So it's been really special to know that there's someone dedicated solely to DEI, and I hope that they have the bandwidth to continue expanding.

You mentioned in your essay that you were a bridge for students to organizations on campus, like the LGBTQ Plus Center and the Wellness Center. I think when I was a student, I tended to think of these organizations as squared away in a back office when they really were there to help students. So can you talk a little bit about that?

The identity and inclusion offices are amazing. I really got plugged into them being a Turner Scholar. It has been really special to be in both of those communities at the same time. When I started, I reached out to Dr. Brandi Elliott, who's the Director of Ethnic Programs & Services at UC, and asked for advice. One thing that she told me was that there were so many people at UC willing to help and answer questions and that I didn't have to reinvent the wheel because even though it did feel like we were starting from scratch in a way, there were people who have been doing this work for years in other spaces. I was still a student, and I was still very much learning, so when I was creating educational programming, the information needed to come from the people who knew it best on our campus. So I did things like an inclusive language workshop with the LGBTQ Center, especially within sororities. They're very gender-exclusive spaces sometimes, so thinking about how, during recruitment, we can be welcoming to everyone and doing little things like putting pronouns on our name tags, renaming things like sisterhood to community, and things like that.

The communities on campus have been really, really helpful, and I just feel very lucky to have learned from a part of that.

You interned at 1 In 5, and Women of Cincy actually interviewed Nancy Miller a few years ago. So can you talk about how you were involved in that organization and what you did with them?

As a part of my medical sciences curriculum for the electives, you can do a community service rotation – that's how I got started there. I wanted to do something mental health-related, and I just did a Google search of mental health organizations in Cincinnati, and that's how I found it. When I did my interview, I immediately fell in love with Nancy and the purpose and vision that she has at 1 in 5. The name 1 in 5 references that one in five people have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Nancy lost her husband to suicide, so her goal is that never happens to anyone again. Her approach is really unique by focusing on giving kids protective tools to take care of themselves rather than what I think is often done, which is knowing the signs of suicide and how to intervene later on. Her approach is really upstream.

I started off with just smaller projects related to suicide, anxiety, and depression. A few months into my time there, I talked to Beth and Nancy about how the National Eating Disorders Association was doing National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. I had an eating disorder my freshman year of college, and I thought it would be cool to take my experience and some of the research I have done with my psychology minor and come up with some social media projects about it. It started on social media, paired with data, and from there, it grew into an educational project. Eventually, it became a workshop where I actually got to go into schools and work with kids and talk to them about things like body image, integrative health, and self-care. It was the most special experience to be in the classrooms that I grew up in and talk to kids and learn from them. That has been the most valuable experience in college.

As UC becomes more expansive with the mental health resources it provides to students, are there still gaps in the system where it can improve?

Especially being a pre-med student, it has been such an interesting conversation to have. One great thing about UC is there are so many opportunities for co-op and research, but it's definitely a delicate balance of getting students involved but also teaching them to take care of themselves. One thing that I have really loved is that I ended up adding an integrative health minor that is available to students of any major. That has honestly been the way I've learned a lot about how to take care of myself and about mental well-being and self-care. Learning about that in the classroom, in a way that's taught as a means to adopt those skills yourself, has been really cool. The Integrative Health Center that's developing and really growing on the medical campus is awesome, and I've been very lucky to be a part of that.

Can you talk a little bit about your postpartum work and the organizations that you've worked with as a part of that?

I started out as a volunteer at Mercy Home back in high school, but then COVID happened, and the volunteer program shut down. Then, in my junior year, when I did the community service rotation, I reached back out to the director of volunteer services at Mercy West, near where I grew up, and I said, “Hey, I have this class. Is there anything that you can see me working on here?” The family birthing center at Mercy West recently opened, and she said, “You could come in a few hours a week, and then we can connect you with the community health team there.” So I spent eight hours a week volunteering in the family unit. I was in Mom and Baby, and I got to show up for patients, talk to families, hold their babies while they took a shower. It was really interesting to see the diversity of patients in the community. Where I grew up, there were so many people who were there alone or struggling with things like breastfeeding that had no support. It was really special to be a part of those moments, but also really eye-opening.

*2023 C-Ring winner Soumya Jaiswal with Maya. Photography provided by Pixxel Designs.*

The other few hours a week I spent on that class was with the community health team. My supervisor there, Gina, is amazing. She was working on a project called Baby Cafes, which is a national organization that Mercy Health is adopting. It's a breastfeeding support cafe aimed to provide breastfeeding advice. The biggest goal is to provide community and support. My role there was to translate what I observed from being in the hospital to the ways that we can make the space inclusive and accessible. Some things that I was thinking about were, since infant mortality rates are three times higher for Black babies compared to white babies in Cincinnati, how can we get this to communities most at-risk and most at-need? It has helped so many families and it's located in the heart of the West Side, which has been really neat to see it develop. I definitely miss being a part of that.

What are some of your favorite ways to take time for yourself and make sure you're checking in with yourself?

One of my sorority friends introduced me to hot yoga at Body Alive Fitness, which is a studio with a few locations around Cincinnati. I have really loved that. I did competitive dance growing up, and a really hard part of freshman year with COVID was that it got cut short. I missed dance and moving my body so that is something that I really enjoy daily.

I’ve been learning to be intentional about scheduling time with my friends on my calendar. What I've loved about being in a sorority is that things are kind of forced onto your calendar in a positive way so I’ve had so much time scheduled to spend time with friends.

Can you talk a little bit more about your post-undergrad plans?

I start medical school here at UC in July and I’m excited and also nervous. My hope is to work in the space of mental health. Something that I've gotten to do in the past year is work at a pediatric clinic. I really do love pediatrics. I think both between my experiences at 1 in 5 and working there, I see myself working with kids and working with kids’ mental health. One thing that I'm really interested in right now is with Cincinnati Children's program, where you can do a triple board in psychiatry and pediatrics. I would love to do that because targeting mental health upstream has become a passion of mine. I want to be able to do that as a physician and have that conversation early on, as a pediatrician, whether that's with kids who are transgender in a transgender clinic or working with eating disorder patients, giving that kind of more longitudinal care. I would love to be a part of that conversation, of something that spans years, and not just treating the illness, but thinking about how I can help them stay mentally well.

Can you tell me about a time when you felt proud of yourself and gave yourself some recognition for all the accomplishments that you've achieved?

One thing that was really special to me was going back to my high school. I went to St. Ursula Academy, which is on East McMillan, about five minutes from the UC campus. What was really special and surprising about 1 in 5 was that my former assistant principal, Sara, started working at 1 in 5 around the same time I did. She has been a big supporter of all the educational programming I worked on. When we started talking about it, we thought, “How cool would it be to go back to St. Ursula?” That was the place where my passion for mental health started.

Back in February, we went back to St. Ursula and spent a day there talking to seniors and freshmen in health classes about body image, eating disorder prevention, and mind-body wellness. That has been such a special experience and so full circle for me. Sara and I are going out to dinner to celebrate in a couple of weeks. I think it’s just the little things like that.

Who are some women or gender-expansive folks in your life who inspired you?

There's so many, and it's hard to pick. One person that I really look up to is Madeline Stine, she was my advisor during my time in the sorority space. The biggest lesson I've learned from her is to be intentional about the work you're doing. In any sort of inclusion work or equity work, there's so much work to be done, and just being one person, it's hard to pick and choose. But in order to be the most effective, you really have to be intentional. She has been really helpful in reminding me to find what makes me spark and what my passion is. That way, I can do my best work and lean into the spaces that fit me best. I look up to her a lot. She's just been such a great supporter. I actually just saw her last night and she's still always sending me texts encouraging me. I love her a lot.

The other person probably is the cliche answer, but I would say my mom. She came to America from India when she was 14 with literally nothing, and I’ve seen the way she's made a life for herself. She's now a pharmacist at Cincinnati Children's, and she loves her job. She’s always someone who reminds me that where you come from doesn’t define you, but it also makes you who you are at the same time, and I’ve seen her recognize that and use that as kind of fuel to help her work with kids and make a difference.