Often seen confidently walking down the hallways, sophomore Maya Cayemitte is dressed to the nines daily. Although she is mostly known at Niles West for being one of the best dressed, Cayemitte is also a proud member of the Black Student Union (BSU).

Cayemitte enjoys spending her Thursdays at BSU, and thinks that it has influenced her in many positive ways.

“It [BSU] is an amazing club. It’s not strict at all and it’s easy to join,” Cayemitte said. “We usually talk about issues that have been going on currently, especially in the black community. A lot of people don’t think that’s fun, but it’s good to be informed about what’s going on in the world. BSU has shown me a ton of different perspectives, and it has exposed me to other cultures besides my own.”

The president of BSU, Kayla Lawrence, can attest to all of the good that Cayemitte has contributed to the club, as well as how much potential Cayemitte has to become a leader.

“She [Cayemitte] is our secretary, but she is also designing t-shirts for the club. Maya comes up with a lot of ideas for BSU, and is very positive and helpful. I don’t think she has ever missed a meeting for any reason,” Lawrence said. “A couple of months ago, Maya designed a poster that is now displayed outside the cafeteria. She has been a very influential member of BSU.”

Not only is Cayemitte influential inside of the club, but she spreads her impact throughout the school in many ways, including introducing the club’s ideals to those unaware of its existence.

“I had no idea what BSU was until I met Maya,” sophomore Safiyah Rizvi said. “You can obviously see how passionate she is about what she does.”

Cayemitte knows that she can count on all the members to be supportive of her endeavors, no matter what they might be.

“We try to incorporate everyone’s ideas during meetings,” Cayemitte said. “We’re kind of like a family; we all support each other, and everyone is nice. The whole atmosphere is amazing. Everything is really chill. We are close, but open to anyone that is thinking of joining. ”

Cayemitte feels that she has found her place here at Niles West and looks forward to many more Thursdays spent in room 2415.