Q&A… with Casey Council Young Citizen of the Year Maya Pinn

Maya Pinn with her children Elsie and Lloyd. 399275_02 Picture: Stewart Chambers

Tell us about yourself and your roles!

I am first and foremost a single mum to two beautiful children: Lloyd (six), who has a rare genetic condition, and Elsie (four). I am the owner of RareWear (an adaptive clothing brand), a full time university student undertaking Honours at The University of Melbourne, an administration officer and volunteer at Syndromes Without A Name (SWAN) Australia, a Community Champion at Association for Children With a Disability (ACD), a member of the Nepean School Council, and an associate investigator on two research projects within the health science sector.

What do you love the most about your work?

Providing opportunities to further increase accessibility and disability inclusion from policy to the ground, and helping families of children with a disability in all surrounding communities.

What was your most memorable moment during your current role?

This is tough! I’m so very grateful to have had many significant opportunities and memorable moments throughout my various positions, but if I had to pick one, it would be the surprise of being named 2024 Young Citizen of the Year by the City of Casey.

If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

A monkey. I’m a bit of a jokester, but also strategic and agile.

What were you like as a kid?

Inquisitive and empathetic, with a tendency to push boundaries.

What event, past or present, would you like to witness?

Peter Brock winning Bathurst for the last time in 2003 in his 7L V8 Holden Monaro. I was born and bred a Holden girl, if you couldn’t tell.

Which six dinner guests, dead or alive, would you invite to dinner?

My great grandma who passed away at 100-years-old in 2020, Stephen Hawking, Elvis, Bobby Darin (to duet with Elvis, of course), Steven Bartlett (author of Diary of a CEO), and Mel Robbins (who has helped me more than she will ever know via her podcast).

What three words would your friends use to describe you?

I asked them! The answers were: 1) persistent, 2) eclectic, and 3) determined.

What would you do on your perfect day off?

Head off into the Dandenong Ranges for a long hike to a waterfall destination, with Lloyd in a carrier on my back and Elsie happily alongside me.

Where is your happy place?

Sitting at the Harkaway Cemetery at my grandparents’ grave, picnicking with my beautiful kids, and telling them stories about Grandma.

If you had to compete on MasterChef, what dish would you cook?

Vegetarian lasagne.

Where is your dream holiday destination?

The Northern Lights (whether in Iceland, Norway or Sweden).