Makayla Perry
Engineering Her Future
Makayla Perry, or Mak as she is known to her family and friends, is not your typical American teenager. A senior at Beaufort High School, she is already making a difference within not only her community but also on the national level.
Born in Georgia, Mak spent most of her young life raised on the outskirts of Atlanta. Her family moved from North Georgia to Beaufort in May 2022 when she was preparing to enter her junior year. Her mom, Porsha, and little brother, Mason, had just watched Mak’s older sister, Aniya, the valedictorian, graduate from high school. “We actually moved to South Carolina the night of her graduation,” Mak says. “Aniya is my best friend. She’s the smartest person I know and is always so helpful to me, even away at Georgia Tech.”
When Mak started Beaufort High School, she knew she wanted to get involved. “I am very social and just started applying to everything.” A few months into her junior year, she was selected as the junior class representative. After a year of being a BHS Eagle, she got into her groove. “There had been a Robotics Club at Beaufort High. There was even a team that went on to compete in Worlds, so I wanted to start another team my junior year, but it just wasn’t successful,” she explains. “Then, in my senior year, I was finally able to create a team. All the kids in the group are passionate about engineering and have become my closest friends. We meet three to four times a week in the robotics lab. Sometimes I come during the day or before school. Our group is currently building a robot. We are almost finished building it, and then we will code it and start driving it.”
Although robotics takes up much of her time, she is still active in other areas. “I’m involved in our Interact Club as the senior advisor, so I help organize and communicate any issues or ideas to our club advisor. It focuses on community service, where we pick up trash near the school. We also handed out water to the walkers while we cheered them on during the Walk for Water event to bring attention to the challenges people face in accessing water throughout the globe. I also just got involved in a nonprofit called Steps for World, which was started by now President Max Homann, a student at Cross Schools in Bluffton. It’s an organization supplying and fundraising fitness shoes for kids in East Africa,” Mak says. “I’m the Beaufort High Director, and my role is organizing and planning fundraisers, garnering local support for drives, and growing the nonprofit in our area.” In September, Mak was also selected as Beaufort High School’s Student of the Month.
Those accomplishments would be impressive for any high school student, but there is one activity that really helps Mak stand above the rest. “My junior year, I filled out an application for the American Legion Program. I just really wanted to get more involved in the community.” Beaufort’s American Legion Posts and Auxiliary sent 22 local high school juniors to Palmetto Boys and Girls State this summer. “I didn’t know much about it originally because there was not an American Legion Association Post in Cartersville, Georgia,” Mak continues, “but three girls were chosen to represent Beaufort High School. I was chosen as an alternate and not one of the originally selected; however, the organization wanted more representation of females since more males are sent each year, and the American Legion Association is working to change that. My counselor highly recommended me, so I ended up attending after all. We went to Girls State this past June, held in Clinton, South Carolina. There were over 600 girls and 900 boys. I was so eager to talk to everyone.”
As stated in a recent press release, Boys and Girls State is a week-long camp, where delegates learn about the American system of government and politics by participating in a mock governmental system. The students have an opportunity to prepare speeches, compose party platforms, debate current issues, and vote for elected offices. They also learn about citizenship and public service principles from guest speakers, expert panels, and staff members.
Mak continues, giving her personal experience. “Attending American Legion Auxiliary Girls State was one of the best experiences of my life. Every year, it takes a ton of effort just for the organization to be put on for students. While we are there, we are split into cities and parties. We then campaign and elect city, county, and state officers. I was elected for the house and, in total, ran for commissioner of agriculture, a city position, and a house representative. I just find policy interesting, especially environmental issues. I created a bill about food waste and legislation, requiring stores and restaurants to compost food or donate leftovers to homeless shelters. It’s not an original idea because it’s already working in Australia, but I felt it’s something that could work here. It wasn’t kink free, and I learned a lot about policy.”
Most students’ participation in mock government would end at the state level, but Mak wanted to try and take it a step further. “There was a sign-up sheet on a wall at the campus. It was for those interested in attending Girls Nation. Three hundred girls signed up, and I added my name. On the second to last day of camp, we had come from the Columbia State House, and I debated in the House chamber (The girls elected to the House and Senate debate in their prospective chambers). They call this trip Columbia Day. Afterward, we had a celebratory picnic because it was the day before the last Palmetto Girls State Day. I decided I wanted to go chat with my junior and senior counselor. When I approached them, they took me to the campus stadium. I didn’t know why, and they didn’t say anything at first. They took me to the stadium and informed me I was about to be interviewed by the Girls Nation Senators. I was interviewed by six women who had once attended Girls Nation. I was so nervous walking in, but a calm overtook me the moment I was seated. I was comfortable, and the women were loving. It didn’t feel like an interview. They wanted to hear about my family, friends, what I like to do in my free time, and how I would handle not agreeing with the other senator if I was chosen. I talked about my youngest brother, Mason, and his extreme knowledge of different types of fish; he can name almost any of them and how compassionate he is. I also talked about wanting to support Mason because he’s neurodivergent, and I didn’t find out I was until recent years. I want to make sure he doesn’t feel shame about things that just make him, him.”
“I was also able to talk about Aniya’s influence on me and how her strong drive motivates me to be someone who is constantly growing emotionally and intellectually. I’m continually trying to educate myself by reading, really any topic, but I mainly enjoy reading intersectionality. When I was asked at that time how I would work with the other senator chosen, I said I would find ways to combine both of our interests and passions, so we could write a bill we both value and care about. The two chosen senators would be required to create a bill together to present at Girls Nation. Those bills are then debated throughout the week.”
Mak had no regrets leaving her interview. “When I walked out there, I had such a feel good, positive feeling. I even remember thinking, ‘I think I may have just gotten that.’ I slept so well that night. On the last day of camp, the head speakers went on stage, gave words of gratitude, and announced the Samsung American Legion Scholarship winners. They also announced who was selected to go on to attend Girls Nation. My name was said, and I couldn’t believe it. I cried, walking to the stage. The other delegate was Payton Ward, who happened to be originally from Bluffton. She has become a very close friend of mine.”
Girls Nation was held a month later in July in Washington, D.C. Two statewide delegates were accepted from each state, and Mak made her way to meet all the other young females like her who wanted to make a difference in their world. “It was so amazing. The women I met were so incredibly driven. They were compassionate, eager to learn, and just overall good people. I even met a 17 year old who was going into her graduate program. I, Payton Ward, along with two South Carolina Boys Nation senators, had the opportunity to talk with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott alongside his legislative aide. We also talked with Lindsey Graham’s legislative aide as he was unavailable to meet.”
Mak isn’t just participating in these programs for show. It’s something she is genuinely passionate about and hopes to pursue in the future. Beaufort High School is a capstone diploma school that allows students to participate in the AP Capstone program. “In AP Capstone, we write a bunch of papers and spend a lot of time researching topics. The paper I was most passionate about writing and researching was one about Indigenous knowledge in the Arctic & how often Indigenous knowledge towards climate change mitigation is ignored and not considered, even though Indigenous peoples in the Arctic are some of the most affected by climate change and have extensive knowledge of their land. Overall, I learned that all communities, especially marginalized ones, are often put aside in the face of climate issues. It piqued my interest to see what I could do in my community, and I want to work with people around me, communicate with other leaders, and aid in developing solutions. I want to pursue international work, working with the environment. I am not entirely sure what major to pursue. I’ve been heavily considering environmental engineering, as I have one more course to complete the engineering pathway at BHS, and I’ve been considering policy. I’m just focused on whatever path will get me to where I want to be.”
Regardless of where Mak plans to attend college, or what she ultimately picks as her major, it’s obvious this young lady is ready to make her mark. She has a clear focus, is academically successful and personable, and has a loving family who will back her all the way to the top.
