Member story: Maya
WISJ Member Maya shares her thoughts on the role of mentorship while navigating the next steps of her career in global health.
As a Japanese American that went to college in California and pursued a Masters and PhD in global health while living in Japan, I experienced a handful of obstacles in starting a career in the global health field. Whether it was the many consecutive years in academia and research and consequently limited years of professional working experience, or the inopportune timing of the pandemic that affected the entire world, the job searching process was never easy for anyone and I was no exception. It wasn't until I joined the WISJ community and began networking among other like-minded members that other opportunities arose. I am grateful to this network, which helped me smoothly transition to a role at Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), an internationally-ranked, Tokyo-based global health think tank, immediately after obtaining my PhD at The University of Tokyo. It has led me to health projects including conducting research and advocating on women's health in Japan, aiming towards women-friendly workplaces and societies - a project I find great satisfaction in participating in.
“I couldn’t help but feel empowered to tackle what is in store for me in my own way.”
This year, I get ready to pack my bags after six years of living in Tokyo to move back to the United States to continue contributing to the community health sector. Again, the WISJ community and mentorship has played a major role in my global health career path. During my search for a global health epidemiologist position, I networked with multiple members in WISJ who each provided me with practical, actionable advice. Each fellow expat mentored and provided me with their personal stories and diverse experiences of working in their respective fields to make a positive change in global health. I couldn't help but feel empowered to tackle what is in store for me in my own way. I hope each member of the WISJ community experiences these new insights and opportunities in their own ways to help them towards accomplishing their goals. I am truly appreciative for the support and inspiration from this talented group of people.
