After her service in the Navy, Maitrejean applied for an ROTC commission in the Air Force and realized she needed to finish her degree for the position. She was stationed in Greece and began looking for schools with social work programs.

Maitrejean began her degree in social work at Meredith at 26 years old and soon after found herself thriving in the campus community.

Being able to be witness to people growing and developing and having that next level of greatness, to me, there’s nothing better,” she said.

“I quickly met many people in my classes, and because the faculty is so close working with you, I formed early bonds with the faculty, especially in the social work department. I was quickly brought on for student work in the department. So I got even closer with those professors, and it was incredible,” she said.

Maitrejean now works as the Director of Human Resources for the U.S. Special Operations Command Africa in the United States Air Force but is headquartered in Germany. She manages all the manpower and personnel, and human resources functions for the unit.

“I do a lot of one-on-one counseling and advising, which is why I’m glad I have my social work background. I advise people on management relations and employee relations. I’ll sit down and counsel junior members when they’re having trouble with their supervisors and provide some advice on how to go about addressing a problem or working through different issues,” she said.

The most rewarding part of her job is seeing those she has helped succeed. She’s thankful for her incredible team and the positive feedback she hears from people across the command. 

“Being able to be witness to people growing and developing and having that next level of greatness, to me, there’s nothing better,” she said.

Maitrejean is grateful for all the opportunities she’s been given, thanks to her time in the service. She’s gained her undergraduate and two master’s degrees, received several education and leadership opportunities, and traveled the world. 

“I’m so glad that Meredith was where I chose to go for undergrad and how welcoming everyone was. It was an amazing program that I was able to participate in,” she said.