Maialee Decker has been a student at Alouette Elementary for the past year and a half and has made a strong impression on the students and staff at the school. Her kind nature and mature attitude are natural components of her leadership skills, but it is her passion about social justice that truly stands out. Maia believes strongly that people’s differences should be celebrated, and that it is an injustice when students are judged or treated poorly when they don’t fit the abstract “norm” of their peer group.
Maia’s sense of fairness is what prompted her to join the Alouette leadership club (“Stronger Together”) and to take part in ‘Student Voice’ this year, as well. She has long been interested in the global issues of poverty and illness in poorer countries and has a keen desire to visit and volunteer in Kenya when she is older. As she says, “We have the resources to help these countries, and we aren’t doing enough!” Access to clean water and an education are a must for all students her age, she believes, and she would like to do her part to make that a reality.
Maia is appreciative of her time with the Student Voice group. She enjoyed working with her peers and with older students in the district, and learning about certain district initiatives, like “Project Hello.” She likes that the club has worked on smaller, local initiatives and believes that “a whole bunch of small differences can make a big difference.”
With outside school activities like drama classes, singing lessons, and art classes, Maia demonstrates a creative and positive attitude about what is possible in the world. She hopes that people will see her as open and accepting, and as a person willing to stand up for what she believes in. These qualities definitely make her stand out as a leader of tomorrow!
About Leaders of Tomorrow
The Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District (SD42) has teamed up with the Maple Ridge News to celebrate local students who are making a difference at school and in the community. Elementary and secondary students featured as Leaders of Tomorrow were picked by their principals for making positive achievements in academics, sports, arts and community involvement.
The list is just a sample of outstanding students in the school district selected by their school during the 2018/19 school year – there are many others who were equally deserving of recognition for their exemplary achievements both inside and outside the classroom. Every Tuesday throughout the school year, SD42 will profile a student selected as one of the 2019 Leaders of Tomorrow.
