Harrity Elementary nurtured Mya McQueen’s love of education, which has since blossomed into a career advocating for equity in postsecondary preparation. 

Throughout her time as Vice President of Enrollment & Institutional Partnerships at Lionheart Coaching Academy, Mya has witnessed how student confidence suffers when systems aren’t designed with their unique needs in mind. But at Harrity, Mya recalls how supportive teachers and academic resources unlocked her potential and gave her confidence to pursue her dreams. Those critical middle school years spent at the school inspired her to make Mastery’s pursue equity her life’s mission by building systems, programs, and pathways to support underserved students.

Mya reflected on collaborating with her classmates to produce a documentary that showcased their growth from sixth to eighth grade and was shown at their graduation ceremony. The creative outlet serves as a time capsule that students can still view today as a reminder of their Harrity experience. After graduation, she returned to volunteer as assistant cheer coach under the direction of physical education teacher Mike Deegan for the school’s first cheer team, cementing herself as a legacy builder there. 

As a member of the community, Mya continues to return to her alma mater to speak to students and connect with teachers as peers in expanding student outcomes. Her advice for Mastery students is to take time to sit with yourself, learn your passion and what fuels your joy, and let it guide you to show up as your authentic self every day.