Name: Maya Tolentino
Pronouns: She/her
District: Illinois-Eastern Iowa
Hometown: Chatham, Illinois, U.S.
Key Club name: Glenwood High School Key Club
Year in school: 12
Clubs or activities outside of Key Club: Varsity dance team, band, student council, class officers, National Honor Society, Varsity Academic Challenge Team, Social Justice Club, Student United Way
Past Key Club International Leadership Experience: My freshman year, I started out serving as the freshmen class representative. At the end of freshman year, I was elected to the position of club treasurer, but through a series of events, I spent most of the year serving as vice president. For the 2022-23 service year, I served as an at-large lieutenant-governor, my district’s district convention co-chair and a member representative on the International Membership Recruitment and Retention Taskforce.
Why did you decide to run for the international board? I first started thinking about running for the international board my freshman year after attending the virtual Summer Leadership Conference and being so immensely inspired by the leadership and confidence of that year’s outgoing board. At that point, I didn’t think it would ever be possible for me to run for an international position, but I kept the possibility and the leadership I observed in the back of my mind as an aspiration and goal. This past year, my amazing governor Ella Mastin worked with me closely and, through her strong belief in me, convinced me that I was ready and capable of running for trustee. Ultimately, through my work with last year’s International Membership Taskforce and the exposure it gave me to working on the international level, I decided I loved it, wanted more and would run.
What is your favorite Key Club memory and why? I have a lot of amazing Key Club memories, but recently the best memories come from any interaction I have had with the rest of the international board. Every single one of these individuals are the most hardworking and passionate people I have ever met, and they truly inspire me every day with their dedication to this organization and bettering themselves and others. They also have the best humor that never fails to give me a full ab workout, and they’re some of the nicest people.
Hobbies outside of Key Club: Dancing, playing instruments, reading, watching Netflix, walking my Australian shepherd, and napping
Favorite movie or TV show: “Forrest Gump” or “The Hunger Games”
Favorite book: The entire Percy Jackson series
Favorite food or snack: Potatoes
Favorite animal: Pandas
Somewhere you would like to visit in the future: France
What is the best advice ever given to you? If you love it, it’s worth it.
What did you want to be when you grew up? A princess