Meet Dr. Maya Thomas Fernandez | Higher Educational Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Maya Thomas Fernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Maya, how do you think about risk?
I took a huge risk and leap of faith recently. I started a new job in November 2024, after being with my previous employer for almost 7.5 years. It was daunting, to say the least. There is that fear of the unknown, but also the fear of not taking that risk or jump to start something new. With my doctorate in education, one of my career aspirations was to work at a four-year university, so I took the leap of faith and started my new career at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. You have to believe in yourself, that you can achieve anything, when considering changing jobs or anything that requires taking a risk. There are always pros and cons to any risk. Discussing the decision with my family was also a huge factor and with their support, I’m so glad I took the new job.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I worked at a large community college in Dallas for almost eight years. I decided to leave that company and join a large university in Texas to utilize my degree and skillset more. My educational background is very unique. I have a bachelors degree in criminal justice, with a minor in business. I earned a MBA in health care management. After working in that space for almost 12 years, I pivoted my career to higher education. I earned my doctorate of education in educational administration in 2019, raising two young daughters while I was in school. It definitely was not easy. The struggle was worth it. I survived with the prayers of my parents, my husband taking care of the girls and my parents to help babysit when I needed to write my dissertation. What I’ve learned along the way is that anything is possible with God. My faith has gotten me to where I am today. For anyone struggling with their next career move or even thinking about going back to school, you can do it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t, because you can. The end goal and struggle are all worth it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question! I like to think of myself as a foodie and like to document my food adventures on Instagram. There are few different areas I would hit up. If you are in North Dallas, I would visit The Star in Frisco. They have all types of foods and desserts that will please folks of all ages. In Dallas, I love all the spots on Lower Greenville. Some of my favorites there are Wabi House and Fortune House. You can’t go wrong with donuts from Voodoo Donuts. I love the Bishop Arts area too. Check out Kessler Baking Studio. His cookies melt in your mouth. His baked goods are seriously the best in DFW. For site seeing, I would visit the Perot Museum and Reunion Tower.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family supports me so much. My husband, Jason, supported me as I started my doctorate program when our youngest was only a few weeks old. My parents have provided guidance and prayers throughout my life. My greatest inspiration are my two daughters. My dissertation chair, Dr. Allen Brown, is a source of inspiration. He told me to never give up and encouraged me to take on a full-time role during my studies and I’m glad I did because, as I later learned, full-time jobs don’t open up easily in higher education.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/foodiediariesbymaya

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmayaf/

Yelp: https://yelp.to/b5-Kv5_NZc

Image Credits
Second group photo (sitting on couch) DCEO Magazine March 2023 edition https://www.truist.com/content/dam/truist-bank/us/en/documents/flyer/sas-building-career-pathways.pdf