Participating in SGA, NHS, and the cross country and track and field teams, junior Maya Gottesman has a lot on her plate. However, she doesn’t let her busy schedule get in the way of her interests. This upcoming school year, she’s looking forward to increasing SGA activity and school involvement in events.

As SGA co-president, Gottesman aims to increase communication between the SGA and the school community. To keep people updated on upcoming events, Gottesman communicates with peers by messaging group chats and posting to her social media accounts. “We’ve [SGA] heard a lot of feedback that some people don’t know what’s going on, such as a spirit day or event,” Gottesman said.

Along with increased communication, Gottesman plans to provide more fun events for students. She hopes that these events will allow for more inter-grade bonding and create a more spirited and enjoyable environment. “One thing that I want to implement is having something in the Commons, whether it be coloring pages to pick up or games like musical chairs,” Gottesman said. 

Besides SGA, Gottesman runs for the cross country and track and field team. Starting when she was in second grade, running quickly became her passion. In elementary and middle school, she was involved in Rockville’s youth cross country and track programs. Gottesman also ran for Robert Frost Middle School’s cross country team all three years. Despite hitting a rough spot over the pandemic due to an injury, she was able to get back into running. “With track I make sure I get my runs in. That time serves as a relaxing time before my school work and lets me be able to hang out with friends I made on the team,” Gottesman said.

To train for competitions, Gottesman runs five to six days a week, cross-training on the seventh day. She has been preparing for track and field regionals on May 18, where she ran the 4×8 relay the 1600 (mile) and the 3200 (two mile). Her goal is to set a personal record for all her events and qualify for states in the 3200 and relay. “People always ask me how I’m able to run these hard events. I don’t know how I do it. I kind of just start and keep going,” Gottesman said. 

After visiting colleges around the country, Gottesman found that she was most drawn to schools in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland. She prefers somewhere that is close to her family and in a moderate climate, since she doesn’t enjoy running in weather under 50 degrees. She also visited schools that cater to the career she intends to pursue: sports administration and communications. Gottesman also hopes to incorporate her hobby, baking, in her future plans. She especially enjoys baking for her friends, and her dream is to open a bakery in the future, which she will call MoonBeam Bakery. 

While the future is fast approaching, Gottesman is doing all she can to stay motivated and perform high in school and extracurricular activities. During the school day, she takes every opportunity to get homework done, and tries to start her homework before 7 p.m.. As a rising senior, Gottesman is excited to go through the college application process, and can’t wait to see where her friends and classmates will end up studying.

Her recommendation for students who are interested in being involved in extracurricular activities and sports is that they should start as soon as they can. For any activity, find something that you are passionate about. Gottesman also suggests finding other students who are interested in the same thing. She also recommends that students who are interested in student-led organizations, like SGA, should attend events and participate in spirit days. “No matter what you do, get off your couch and go for a walk today. Even if it’s just walking your dog it will get you started.”