|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Miami Palmetto High School junior Maya Feller is working on finalizing her Girl Scout Gold Award project.
“I’m starting the Panther Closet into a place that students who can’t afford to buy new clothes, or need a change of clothes, can get access to clothes,” she says.
“I’m hoping to work up to providing hygiene products.”
She also wants to eventually have shoes and backpacks available.
“I hope to have it open by March,” she says. “I have it approved. I have a room I can use, and I already have a bunch of clothes from myself, and I have shoes and I have people saving clothes.”
She hopes to receive sweatshirt donations from graduating students who no longer want or need their Palmetto merchandise.
“If kids can’t afford to buy Palmetto merch, they can get it from the closet,” she says.
In addition to her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Feller is very involved in Palmetto extracurricular activities at school. She’s on the board of the Jewish Student Union.
“I’m on the board for Israeli affairs,” she says. “We have meetings and, in the meeting, sometimes we’ll have it around a Jewish holiday and do fun activities about the holidays.”
She’s also in Student Council, on the Staff Appreciation Committee.
“We have had two breakfasts and luncheons for staff at the beginning of the year,” she says.
The committee also hosted a school supplies buffet.
“We set up tables and they could pick up anything they wanted for their classroom, and we gave them breakfast,” she says. “We brought things they wanted for lunch around Thanksgiving. We gave teachers gift cards around the holidays. We are planning to do spirit week for only the staff.”
This year Feller is the photo editor of the yearbook. Last year she was a photographer/staffer and this year she’s in charge of the photographers.
“I mentor them and help them,” she says. “I try to be a good role model for them. I am also a good editor and designer, so I help other staff members.”
Last year, her teacher nominated her for Yearbook Student of the Year. Even as photographer, she still helps with editing.
“My favorite things to take pictures of are sports or show events,” she says. “But mostly sports. Sports are more of a challenge, making it more fun.”
Feller also plays sports. This is her third year on the Palmetto lacrosse team, and she plays as goalie.
She has won Defender of the Year for the junior varsity team and last year she was named Player With the Most Heart. She was also nominated by the Miami Herald for Athlete of the Week.
Feller is a member of the PAWS Club, the National English Honor Society, the Interact Club and the Palmetto Women’s Union.
Outside of school she is the vice president of programing for the United Synagogue Youth (USY) chapter at Temple Beth Shira.
She’s also in the BeWell Miami South Dade Teen Wellness Fellowship, through the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, a teen mental health program.
“You get certified in teen mental health,” she says.
She says the idea is that teens from several temples get together to learn about teen mental health and how they can help the people around them,
“So, if our friends are upset, and they don’t know what to do, we can notice the signs and help them figure out who to talk to,” she says.
The teens involved in the effort are currently working on creating a project, possibly a nonprofit.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com.
