Written By: Sakura Snyder, Staff Writer
INSPIRATIONAL: Makayla Anderson, the encouraging cross country captain and future UCR student, says farewell to Poly.
As the 2022-2023 school year comes to an end, many seniors at Poly must say their final goodbyes. Makayla Anderson is one of these students, and reminiscences about her remarkable journey.
Makayla is a varsity athlete who plays three sports, including cross country, where she holds a leadership position. However, she was not always a cross country captain—in fact, she was not involved in running until sophomore year, during the midst of the pandemic. Before COVID-19 hit the US and forced schools to implement social distancing in their activities, Makayla primarily played soccer. When cross country became one of the only sports available for students to participate in, she made the decision to join the school’s team. From there, Makayla took off! Over the course of her high school career, running became a very important part of her life, eventually getting her “signed with UCR to run for the university’s cross country and track team.” At UCR, Makayla will “major in early childhood education.” She states that she wants to “become an elementary school teacher.”
When asked how she thought she changed from freshman year to senior year, Makayla laughed. “I didn’t grow height wise at all, but I did grow as a person!” she explained. Anderson believes that she became more outgoing over the years, and came to know a variety of different people. This leads into her personal advice to all incoming freshmen or students in general: “get out there, and get involved.”
Makayla has left many great memories at Poly, and is definite proof of the school’s pride. Although she will be missed, her ambitions make Makayla’s future shine bright. We wish you the best of luck in college and all your future endeavors!