Her Story
About Maeva
I started my journey in a completely different field, earning an art degree in 3D animation and film from ESRA in Paris. As I worked in that industry, I realized I wanted to go into business. I've always been inspired by my father, who's an accounting CEO. He started as an accountant, became the director of DHL for West Africa, then CEO, and after 20 or 30 years quit to start his own company. Now he has 3 or 4 companies. That path was so inspiring to me. I applied to American schools as an international student and got into a university in Boston. I started studying business, and then I took one accounting class and completely fell in love with it. I was like, oh, this has to be my major. I love doing this, it comes to me so easily and naturally. I did a major in accounting and finance with a minor in data science at Simmons University. Two summers ago, I had an internship doing internal auditing and financial statements preparation for my father's company, which I've been doing for about 3.5 to 4 years. I learned so much through this internship, and it confirmed that I really, really want to do this as my career. Right now as a student, I wear multiple hats. I'm a resident advisor for the residential campus, where I plan monthly events, manage budgets, support students day-to-day, and work in collaboration with public safety and provisional staff to coordinate information and respond to emergencies. I'm also a tutor and learning assistant for statistics, computer science, and math. I'm very comfortable explaining complex ideas and teaching students how to not just understand the content, but how to apply it themselves. I really tailor everything I say to each student I talk to, and I provide advice on how to succeed in their intended career.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maeva
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to both my hard work and my parents' support. I'm the one studying, I'm the one writing and getting the grades, applying and doing things at work. But without my parents' support, I would not be the woman I am, I would not be as confident as I am. By support, I mean just the way they consistently boost me, they always support me, they always bring me up, even when I may feel a little bit down regarding work, regarding internship opportunities, or maybe an exam that I feel might not have been as good. They always, always, always ensure that my mood doesn't go down, or that if I do feel down, that I don't linger in those bad feelings. So they are my little anchors, basically. They anchor me through times where I'm very overwhelmed and possibly burned out. That, plus the hard work that my father has put throughout his entire career, was very inspiring, so that also helps me, for sure.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to not doubt myself. This is something I've heard and something I've had to learn myself. I'm someone who is quite confident in my daily life, but of course there are days where sometimes I doubt whether I belong in a certain space. I learned that I need to stop doing that, because if I'm here for a reason, I know that I work hard. And women, just in general, we are often prone to feeling like imposters when we really shouldn't. We know we work hard, and we deserve the things that we have. The one time I doubted myself was in high school, before an exam, and I flopped it. I had the same topic as on a mock exam where I got the best grade, but when it was time for the real exam, I got so into my head that I flopped it. Every time I do everything with my confidence, whether it's the way I stand in the room, the way I talk to people, the way I put myself out there, I always get the best feeling, the best satisfaction, the best results, as opposed to when I just overthink or when I try to make myself small. So I would say, don't doubt yourself, and be confident, and take up space. Obviously make space for others as well, but take up space. Don't be afraid, don't stay in your little corner. You need to put yourself out there, because people are not going to come and get you. You have to put yourself out there.
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