There is a photo of Maya Zittrain at age four wearing a Virginia Tech cheerleading outfit. Her mom is a Hokie, and her immediate family members are big supporters of the school. So the irony is not lost on Zittrain that she ended up at the University of Virginia.
“My dad’s younger sister went to UVA, as did his older sister’s husband. When I was a junior in high school, my dad actually suggested that I might want to consider UVA, despite what I had been told growing up. Sure enough, after looking into it, it felt like the perfect fit,” she says.
Now wrapping up her second year on Grounds, Zittrain has successfully incorporated her into her college experience. And to cap off the year, she’s been accepted into the McIntire School of Commerce. “I want to concentrate in Marketing and possibly in Management too,” she says.
Building a Business Foundation
A lifelong competitive dancer, Zittrain’s interest in business developed early at the dance studio where she trained. As a company member on the competition team, she was responsible for helping to run open houses for new customers. “I really liked showing people around the studio,” she explains. “I started to think about how I could still incorporate dance into my life when I got older, which led me to the idea of possibly running my own dance studio.”
This realization prompted Zittrain to take entrepreneurship and business classes in high school. She also joined DECA, a nonprofit organization that prepares emerging high school-aged leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in business through an extracurricular club.
“I fell in love with it. So when I applied to UVA, I had the intention of applying to McIntire,” she says.
Today, she says she’s drifted from the aspiration to run a studio. Instead, she wants to focus on soaking up as much knowledge and experience as possible to have the flexibility and freedom to pursue different opportunities in business. “I’d like to work for a marketing or consulting firm to start, and then determine how to combine my passion for the arts with my business experience. I could see myself working for a company that is in the arts or one that supports competitive dance,” says Zittrain.
Balancing Academics with Extracurriculars
Though her career focus has shifted, dance is still very much a centerpiece in Zittrain’s life. She’s a member of the Virginia Dance Company, and this year she took on the responsibility of choreographer. “When I had to audition for the competition team in high school, I had to choreograph my own solos, and I helped with choreography for the student showcase at my home studio,” she explains. “I’ve always loved doing it, so to be able to do it for this dance company on Grounds has been a really great experience.”
Zittrain has also combined her passions for dance and business through her Enactus volunteer work with the Charlottesville Ballet. “One of our main goals this past year was to promote their scholarships to make dance more inclusive and diverse, financially, by supporting underrepresented groups in dance. As someone who grew up in that world—I started dancing at age three and never stopped—I know how exclusive it can be.”
Additionally, Zittrain is a member of McIntire’s Advertising and Marketing Association and serves as the Vice President of Marketing for her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, a role that has helped her hone her collaboration skills: “I get to work with a lot of other girls in my sorority by running our Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok accounts as well as our website and all of our merchandise.”
Her involvement in so many activities has forced Zittrain to check in with herself each semester to ensure her commitments, and her coursework, can be met effectively. “I always prioritize school,” she explains. “But as I’ve found more things that I’m interested in, I try to stay organized, communicative, and transparent with all of the organizations I’m involved in, so I can balance it all.”
Taking Her Business International
Travel is another important aspect of Zittrain’s life. “I love going abroad and experiencing different cultures,” she says. “I’ve been to Italy, Paris, and Switzerland so far.”
Her next adventure takes her to London this summer as she studies abroad with UVA’s two-month global internship placement program. She is taking two classes, one of which is taught by a member of Parliament in the House of Lords. Zittrain will also undertake an internship in brand marketing with bar and restaurant brand Nightcap Venues.
“The opportunities available at UVA are incredible,” she says. “I am looking forward to working across cultures and learning more about how democracy works in the United Kingdom. London is a city that is so rich in culture and diversity. I’m really excited to be there.”
Whether it’s dance, business, or travel, Zittrain is maximizing the full potential of her college experience. Her passion for marketing and making a difference in the world is what makes her journey exciting to watch and one that will stand to flourish as she fully dives into all of the opportunities that McIntire has to offer.
