Maya Holden Cohen is a second-year doctoral student at HGSE in the Culture, Institutions, and Society concentration. Her research focuses on the civic formation of American youth, and the impact of political polarization and geographic partisan sorting on American schools and students. She came to HGSE after a decade working with young people to advance issues of equity and unlock their potential as leaders. Prior to her doctoral studies, Maya worked at Northwestern University’s Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC), collaborating with attorneys, community groups, currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, and their families to end life and life-like sentences for youth in Illinois. Before joining the CFJC, Maya was a teacher and Assistant Director at The School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C., a semester program that aims to develop students into ethical leaders who make positive change in our world. From 2011 to 2014, Maya served as the Executive Director of GlobeMed, a global network of undergraduate students and community organizations working together to tackle challenges of poverty and poor health. Maya graduated from Barnard College with a BA in English.