Written by Jyot Sandhu
At the Y, we’re proud to recognize and celebrate the contributions individuals have made to our association over the years. This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’re shining the light on Mei-Yun Loya, a senior program director at the YMCA Center for Community Impact (CCI) who has dedicated their career to helping youth in underserved communities.
Containing Multitudes
Mei-Yun comes from a diverse family, which includes Chinese, Latina, indigenous Mexican, and Black American heritage, all of which play a crucial role in how she shows up for her students at work. Mei-Yun is also genderfluid and goes by multiple pronouns, including they/them, she/her, and he/him. Her career at the Y began as an enrichment coach, then as a teen director, and now as a senior program director, overseeing programs at Hudtloff Middle School, Lochburn Middle School, and Dr. Claudia Thomas Middle School. During each of her stops at the Y, her lived experiences have helped her shape her programs.
“There is something beautiful about containing multitudes,” Mei-Yun said. “I have so many stories to lean on because I come from so much, so many different backgrounds. I have cultural history to lean on and connect with, which allows me to express myself in different ways.”
They credit their Chinese heritage for helping them be fully present for the students in their program.
“When you're working with youth, so much of your ego has to be set aside,” Mei-Yun said. “If I'm working with a 12-year-old, I treat these moments that are frustrating or embarrassing as learning opportunities. That's a choice that I make out of care. I think that's the way that [Chinese heritage] shows up, setting aside the ego, leaning into that selflessness, because in the end, you're working with communities and folks that have so much to learn.”
Chris Spivey, senior executive director at CCI and Mei-Yun's supervisor, has praised her commitment to her staff and families.
“Mei-Yun has been a strong advocate for her staff, the youth, and families that we serve in the Clover Park School District. She cares deeply about providing opportunities that meet their social-emotional and academic needs.”
Bold and Imaginative
Mei-Yun's mentorship style is not a one-size-fits-all approach. He wants people – whether they’re students in his programs or staff that he supervises – to realize their best potential, and that means walking alongside them as individuals. But being a good mentor hasn’t always come easy and at times, he has had to remind himself to be confident in the skills he brings to the table.
“Culturally, I grew up where being humble is really valued and it toes the line of self-deprecation,” Mei-Yun said. “I had to learn that I can speak about my strengths, I can speak about my leadership confidently.”
That self-reminder has also helped them raise confidence in their students. One of the stamps he put on his programs, again influenced by his Chinese heritage, included a cooking class that started as just small snacks but turned into making full meals, rooted in the cultural backgrounds of his students.
“My heritage helped me be bold and imaginative. I prided myself on being creative with the ideas that I brought to the program,” Mei-Yun said. “They also got to learn a little bit about different places and things that they ate, and then folks who identified with that background got to feel like they were sharing parts of their own pantry in this school setting, which is very rare for diverse communities.”
We celebrate Mei-Yun's continued commitment to serving the youth in our communities.