In October, McKenzie Maling was one of the early recipients of the Rotary Student of the Month award for the school year. Through her participation in Mr. Basulto’s media arts classes, Rotary chose her for exemplary service through her creativity and leadership. Maling has been an active member of the multiple media arts courses and organizations on campuses over the past several years, and has spent immense amounts of time working hard in these courses. Through her time in these classes, she garnered the respect of Mr. Basulto, whom nominated her for this honor. “Mr. Basulto has constantly supported me through the Media Arts program and my academic career beyond his class,” Maling said.
The media arts program has enabled Maling to further develop her leadership abilities, but also allow her to explore and promote her own personal values. These values, which include social justice, uplifting the underprivileged, and providing service to others are shared by both herself and Rotary International, which made receiving this award incredibly rewarding to Maling. “This award is really special to me, as I know Rotary stands for taking action on the world’s most persistent issues,” she said. “I am passionate about advocating for racial justice, gender equity, and ending period poverty, so to be recognized by Rotary in this way was very meaningful.”
Even before her time in media arts, Maling always had strong, compassionate values instilled in her. “I am very lucky to have an amazing support system full of mentors, teachers, and family that is always pushing me to my best,” she said. Even through her vast web of support, Maling’s mother was the one who had the most significant impact on Maling’s character and values. “My mom has always instilled the values of service, community, dedication, and compassion in me,” Maling added. Through her media arts work, these morals and tenets of Maling’s beliefs have propelled her to receive this honor.
Maling has established herself as a fundamental and defining member of the media arts community here in San Marino. Mr. Basulto has created an environment where Maling has thrived, and has given her a place to put her values into real world action. “I felt very honored to be selected for such a special recognition and it was incredibly rewarding to know that my passion for making a positive impact was being recognized by a teacher I admire and an organization that shares similar values,” Maling said.
