By Lena Nguyen
Senior Maya Ekladious is a passionate writer who you would catch sipping away at her homemade matcha tea. While her recipe is a secret, what’s not a secret is Ekladious’ motive to share her voice to the student body with a burst of creativity.
Ekladious’ journey to the United States is a remarkable story that has shaped her perspective and writing interests. If given the chance to write about anything, she would write about her immigration life and experiences as a first-generation immigrant. Adjusting was not easy, but Ekladious’ source of strength came from her friends and family.
“I overcame my challenges by having a really good support system … I was able to find friends who I connected with really fast, and they made my journey easier,” Ekladious said.
Ekladious also discovers connection through playing tennis and piano on her own time. She was also in Fountain Valley’s marching band for two years and was part of Link Crew. But that’s not all, she serves as the co-president of French club and Project Giving Light, where she hopes to spread the French language and lend a helping hand to foster children.
What’s more? Ekladious interns at a dentist’s office, where she familiarizes herself with dentistry–something she genuinely enjoys. Her favorite part about the internship is being able to connect with the children there.
“I’m glad that I am able to show my love for children. Even in the dental field,” Ekladious said.
Even with all these extracurriculars outside of school, Ekladious remains driven in her academics. With four AP classes under her belt, Ekladious deeply values the impact teachers can have on shaping a student’s perception of a subject.
As for the future, she aims to major in STEM, in either biology or public health. And after undergrad, she hopes to attend a dental school with dreams of becoming a dentist.
Being the persevering, optimistic, and adventurous journalist Ekladious is, there’s no doubt she will brighten the smiles of countless people in the future!