At LA’s BEST, the magic of our programs comes to life because of the staff who guide, encourage, and inspire students every day. One of those staff members is Maya Robinson, known to students as Miss MJ. Maya has been with LA’s BEST for about four months and is already making an impact through the Young Authors program, where students learn how to turn their ideas into stories and eventually publish their own books.
Working with students across different grade levels can be a challenge, but Maya embraces it. She enjoys creating a space where students feel comfortable exploring their creativity and finding their voice.
“Sometimes what seems boring to us is the most interesting thing to them. It’s their first time experiencing all of this.”
Through the program, Maya has watched students grow more confident with language and storytelling.
“You start to see them become more comfortable with language and creativity as the program goes on.”
Her calm presence in the classroom helps students slow down, focus, and express themselves.
“We create a calm space where students can write about how they feel and what’s going on in their lives.”
What Maya enjoys most is seeing the imagination students bring to their stories.
“They’ll want to write about something like a squirrel or some wild adventure, and it ends up being something really creative and unexpected.”
Maya hopes to continue growing at LA’s BEST and eventually work within the Arts department. For now, she is enjoying the opportunity to learn, challenge herself, and support students as they discover their creativity through writing. During Read Across America Week, we celebrate stories and literacy across our programs, and educators like Maya are the ones helping students realize that their voices and ideas matter.
