Early on in her career in Native American education, Taylor Dawn Maki accepted a role as a youth coordinator at Torres Martinez Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a social services program for Native Americans in Long Beach, Calif.

On her first day at the TANF office in November 2017, Ms. Maki met Jorge Armando Melgoza, a driver for the organization. Their brief exchange left an impression — enough that Ms. Maki, 31, returned to her desk and immediately scanned the office phone directory.