Once a year the staff at Armijo High School vote on one student who they think exemplifies the characteristics of a Royal. This year, the winner of that honor is Olivia Mauk!

When Mauk heard that she had won Student of the Year, she was shocked and wondered why she had been picked. “I think I may have been chosen because I am part of many communities on campus and have relationships with many different staff members,” she said. I was nominated by the math department because I have some of my closest bonds with them, but I have connections with a lot of other departments as well.”

Mauk has been attending Armijo ever since her freshman year, and she has been a part of many communities on campus including Leadership, Theatre, College and Career Club and she is part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Within those communities, Mauk has taken on a variety of leadership roles. Even though she might have not participated in sports throughout her time in high school, she likes to think of theater being her sport.

Now that Mauk is set to graduate, she said that she will miss a lot of things that she was able to do over the years, like attend the football games and the school dances where she got to be with her friends and have fun.

When Mauk is not busy with academics or extracurricular activities, she likes to listen to music, read, and go on walks. She loves to be social and do things with her friends, but she also values her alone time.

When someone is lacking inspiration or feels down, sometimes having a sibling is a cheat code and that’s the case for Mauk. Her older sister Emily graduated from Armijo in 2018, but in terms of local role models, Ms. Sheena Beeson, Armijo’s theatre director, has been Mauk’s inspiration for the past four years. “She has been a key part of my high school experience and will continue to be part of my life,” said Mauk.

While she’s grateful for what she’s experienced on campus, her experience could be improved. If she could change something at Armijo, she said she would like to see  more support for the arts. ”I’d advocate for more support for the arts,” she said. “Programs like band, choir, and especially theater are often overlooked by the district when it comes to funding, however these programs are just as important as any academic program.”

If she could give advice to any upcoming students, it would be “to get involved and put yourself out there. It’s hard to meet new people, but when you’re a freshman, everyone is in the same boat! Take the risk and introduce yourself to someone new in your class or start going to a new club. If you don’t put yourself out there you’ll never find your community on campus.”

As this is Mauk’s last year in high school, she had a kind message for the teachers and fellow IB students: “I would like to thank all my teachers that have inspired, encouraged and put up with me for all these years, especially Ms. Beeson and those in the math department,” she said. “Lastly, I want to thank my peers in the IB program… You all have been the biggest inspirations to me and have become my second family. I know you will all do great things.”

After high school, Mauk plans to attend UC Davis with a major in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. She hopes to one day enter law school and focus on environmental law.