Lakes High School freshman Makaila Brown loves Marvel’s superhero movies. Her favorite hero is Black Widow, but she enjoys the high-flying action and intense heroic drama offered by any of the films. They’re fun to watch and a chance for her to bond with her dad.
Though she can’t fly or run on walls, Makaila does have a super power of her own. She has an uncanny ability to bring people together and help them find their own strength and confidence. “I try to make everyone feel positive about themselves,” she said. “I encourage people to work together.”
Growing up in a military family, she has experience being in new places and needing to find new friends to support her. She has lived in South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas and now on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. She has always made finding new friends a priority and uses her words of encouragement to connect with other students.
“I know how it feels to be struggling with something,” she said. “When I’ve been in that position, I just wanted someone to help me out. So, I try to be there for other students when they need someone.”
One area Makaila always has words of encouragement is in math class. Math comes easily to her, but she knows it can be a struggle for others. She is always quick to tell her classmates they can succeed even when they think they can’t and give them examples of times they have been able to in the past.
Collaboration is one of the Four Pillars of Student Success and provides a strong foundation to help young people develop into active learners and strong citizens. Makaila collaborates with her peers every day by connecting with others and succeeding together.
Like many of the superheroes she admires, Makaila also enjoys throwing things. She joined the Mann Middle School track and field team last year, competing in the javelin, discus and shot put. She plans to continue playing sports at Lakes High School this year.
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