There are many ways to stand out in high school. Maia Gueron takes the science route.
“And we were looking at the effects of radiation on breast cancer patients, specifically left-sided breast cancer,” Maia says to a group of students as she describes a research project she completed at the University of Florida last summer.
She’s also currently working three days a week at a University of Miami laboratory.
“Basically we’re kind of looking at how to prevent the rejection of transplanting pancreatic cells into individuals with type one diabetes,” Maia explained.
She’s the ultimate science geek.
“It has a lot to do with passion, I’ve really been into science forever, I always just want to learn more about science, and I think that’s really important because doing something in science requires a lot of curiosity, and I’ve always just been really curious,” Maia said.
Her curiosity has taken her to the top at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School. Maia is graduating with a perfect GPA, even after taking 17 AP classes, and she’s going to study biomedical engineering at Duke University.
“I’m always learning more about stuff that I’ve never heard of in my life,” she said.
“She is extraordinary but doesn’t think she’s extraordinary, she just thinks she’s a normal high school kid doing her thing, but her thing is remarkable,” said the school’s activities director, Michelle Russell.
There’s academic excellence, there’s high-level science research, and then there’s Maia’s service project, which combines environmental activism with compassion for the homeless.
She’s using plastic grocery bags and her crochet skills to create sleeping mats for unhoused people. Maia recruited dozens of friends to help recycle thousands of bags into a meaningful product, yet another way in which Maia impresses her friends at school.
“She’s such a role model to me, and I’ve learned so much from her, and she has the passion to help others,” said sophomore Ariel Marinovsky.
“She’s always willing to put her needs aside and help others,” said Noa Cohen, agreeing with her classmate.
Maia also played varsity volleyball, but if you ask her if she considers herself a role model, you get a shrug.
“I mean, I don’t know, I wouldn’t say that, but I do definitely hope I can be one,” Maia said.
Humble, yet driven to help society by doing what she’s good at.
“I would say to actually enjoy what you’re doing, there’s no reason to go for things or attempt to do things you’re not really passionate about,” she said.
Maia’s taking her own advice, planning to science her way through life.
