Coral Gables High senior Maggie Rivers is president of Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society.
As the leader of the math club, Rivers refocused the club’s direction more toward competitions.
“When the students were tutoring they were interacting more with the students (they were tutoring) than with each other,” she said.
Club members participate in regional and district competitions.
“We started in January and every month since then,” she said.
Another goal is to get more people involved and interested in competitions. While club members are not yet placing at the contests, Rivers said they are coming out and they have a lot of first timers entering.
They also continue to tutor students who need math help.
Rivers is president of the National English Honor Society, the group that sponsors monthly Poetry Slams. The Poetry Slams usually take place in the little theater or the International Baccalaureate patio.
The Slams draw about 20 students. Most students recite poetry while others offer monologues.
“If we get the word out, we get more people to come. We have food. They generally have a real cool vibe to them. A lot of people who end up coming to the poetry slam, say ‘I never knew these were so cool; how can I get involved.’”
Three judges are picked at random and the winner takes home a watermelon.
Rivers also is managing editor of Highlights, the school newspaper, and a member of Interact.
Whatever college she attends, Rivers expects to major in physics with the possibility of a double major in statistics and physics. She plans to get a doctorate in physics and do research. But if that doesn’t work out, she would like to work in the space program.
“I could see myself working for a company like Space X,” she said.
She has applied to the University of Miami, the University of Florida, New College, Smith College, Barnard College, Wellesley, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Vanderbilt, University of Chicago and Stanford.
— Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
