Maya seems to enjoy life in middle school. Although to her, elementary school seemed like a more calm environment for Maya, she says “you feel more accomplished” in middle school. Maya, however, was an accomplished writer by fourth grade, winning a poetry contest for Cricket magazine. Maya loves to read and write; and, when she grows up she is interested in doing something where she can put her talent to use. She believes that if you become an author “you have more freedom” than you have in most other jobs. Despite her passion for writing, Maya’s favorite subject is history. “I like knowing how we got to where we are today” she says.
Along with middle school there tends to come pressure for most incoming sixth graders. Self-consciousness tends to spread through middle schools faster than a highly contagious disease. However, Maya stands her ground. She comes off as a very confident and optimistic sixth grader. On the other hand, on a scale of one to ten, Maya ranks her self esteem as a seven. She admits “I sometimes feel like a lot is expected of me, and sometimes I feel like I can’t reach those goals.” Maya never lets her negative feelings bring her down. When something bothers her, she likes to blast her music or write out her feelings, sometimes even burning the pages so her thoughts stay private. Maya also has many hobbies along with writing, like singing, that give her confidence. Last winter, Maya performed in her school’s production of Once on This Island Jr., and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Maya is also in chorus at school. She is a confident singer with a strong voice.
Maya seems content with her life. When I asked her what she would do if I gave her $1 million, she wasn’t sure how to respond. She finally decided it would go into savings, because there was nothing she desperately wished for at the moment. This is just the life of Maya, a typical sixth grader.
Sophia Brown is now a freshman at Walt Whitman High School.
Latest Comments