Thrive in Joy Welcomes Delilah Masket to Our Leadership Team as Our New Program Manager

We’re thrilled to announce Delilah Masket joined the Thrive in Joy Leadership team on June 8th in the newly created role of Program Manager. This is our first full-time addition to staff which will enable Mary to focus on Thrive in Joy’s development and three-year strategic plan while Delilah will oversee all aspects of the Thrive in Joy Collective at our five partner schools in Los Angeles.

Delilah brings an ideal combination of experience and education to this role. Her background spans facility leadership at USC Annenberg and Recreational Sports, alongside deep community service work with the Repair the World Foundation, the Tzedek Committee, and PESA (Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action), an organization focused on keeping youth out of the criminal justice system.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Delilah to gain some insights into her background and why she gives her time and guidance to Thrive in Joy. Here’s what we learned:

Tell us about your background and how you got involved with Thrive in Joy. What is it about Thrive in Joy that aligns with your values? 

I graduated from the University of Southern California this Spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Law and Social Justice. During my time at USC, I worked in Facilities and Operations at the Annenberg School of Journalism and as a Facility Lead for Recreational Sports. My other work experience focused on serving the surrounding Los Angeles community in various ways. I completed the Service Engagement Internship through the Repair the World Foundation, joined the Tzedek Committee to create volunteer opportunities for fellow students, and worked with PESA (Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action) to prevent youth from entering the criminal system.

In 2024, I completed a clerkship with the Public Defender Office of Contra Costa County, working primarily in the clean-slate department to help clients receive expungements and conducting intakes with clients in both English and Spanish. This experience exposed me to the world of criminal law and sparked my excitement for criminal defense and fighting zealously for underserved and marginalized communities. The following year, in 2025, I began working at Torres & Caraves Law, a criminal defense firm in Oakland. Here, I worked closely with the lead attorney to provide legal counsel and services to those in need, utilizing my proficiency in English and Spanish to ensure a comfortable environment for our clients.

I first met Mary at the USC Career Fair this Spring while looking for a summer job and an opportunity to further my involvement with community service in Los Angeles. I came over to the table because I saw my favorite color, my middle name (Joy), and a very kind-looking woman. I instantly felt as though I knew her already, and that our paths were absolutely meant to cross. That day, and every day thereafter, I have been affirmed that Thrive in Joy is the perfect place for me. The close-knit staff, the family values, and the mission of empowering young people all align closely with my purpose.

What impact do you hope to make as Project Manager?

As Program Manager, I hope to bring the same care and intentionality to Thrive in Joy that guided my work in community advocacy: building meaningful relationships with students, creating spaces where they feel truly seen, and equipping them with the confidence and tools to make a lasting impact on their own campuses and communities.

Looking back, every step — from advocating for clients in the courtroom to building volunteer pipelines on campus — was preparing me to do this kind of work: showing up for young people and the communities that raise them. Joining Thrive in Joy feels less like a career change and more like a natural next chapter, one where I get to keep fighting for underserved communities while helping students discover their own sense of purpose and impact.

What are your top 5 VIA character strengths? 

My top 5 VIA character strengths, in order from 1-5, are love, perspective, social intelligence, kindness, and humor!