Makayla Oberly

Makayla is described as a take charge, passionate leader who actively listens to others. She is someone who has integrity and always does the right thing.

Makayla likes to play the ukulele and enjoys baking. She also likes to be President. She is currently the President of the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), HOSA (future health professionals) and La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica Clubs at BHS.  She is a state officer for Montana HOSA and is a member of the National Honor Society. In her free time she volunteers at the Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter.

Makayla lived in Montevideo, Uruguay, her freshman and sophomore years of high school.  Makayla's classes were all Spanish speaking in Uruguay. She has since earned the Seal of Biliteracy. While living in Uruguay, she volunteered as an English tutor for underprivileged refugee families and students, ran a baking business where she used the profits to cater birthday parties for refugee families free of cost,  and served as an officer in the Uruguayan Humanitarian Outreach Club, a club that did various volunteer projects like renovating the house of a Colombian refugee free of cost, or doing a humanitarian aid trip to Chui, Brazil where the community received free food essentials and medical aid.

Makayla’s favorite class at BHS has been the AP US History and Honors English Combo class. According to Makayla, this class “showed me the importance of actively working to make change, and why it is so important to take charge and be a leader. When I was in this class, I was nominated as leader for several group projects like the 60s Museum groups. This class also installed a deep value in me of always working as hard as you can to further your academic career. Whenever I could, I would ask questions, do extra projects and try to learn as much as I could.”

Makalya is most proud of herself for handling a difficult medical diagnosis. Makayla was diagnosed with ADHD as a sophomore. She said, “I remember sitting in the doctor's office after I got diagnosed and I felt like my world had just ended. I was so embarrassed and I thought that I would never be able to achieve anything. But when my Junior year of high school came, I decided that I was going to prove myself and all of my anxieties wrong. I decided that ADHD wasn't going to be some mental disorder that was going to hold me back, but it was going to be the force that pushed me to reach for the stars. So despite all the ADHD battles I had during high school of feeling overwhelmed and anxious, I pushed through. I worked as hard as I possibly could so that I could prove all the ADHD stereotypes wrong and earn all of the achievements and leadership positions that I could. So in truth, I am proud that I believed in myself, and I didn't let ADHD hold me back. In the future, I want to be able to use my story to show young people with ADHD that their diagnosis doesn't have to be the end of the line, but rather it can be the start to a new journey that's challenging but rewarding.”

After high school, Makayla would like to attend college to pursue a degree in Microbiology in the Pre - Veterinary track, and then eventually go to graduate school to get a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. But more than anything, her goal after high school is to make a difference in the world. Makayla says, “I want to use the skills that I have learned to be able to make a direct impact in every community that I am in. As a person, I want to be someone who is passionate but also someone who is kind. I want to empower others so that they can reach for the stars.”

Makayla’s passion for making a difference was sparked while she lived in South America. She became close friends with a Venezuelan refugee who treated her with kindness and friendship, at a time, Makayla states, “when I felt completely alone. That experience taught me how much it matters to be seen, valued, and supported. It lit a fire in me to be that kind of person for others.” While living in Uruguay, she also fostered four homeless cats. This may seem like something small on the surface, but  Makayla says, “it reminded me that no act of care is ever wasted. Whether it’s helping animals, advocating for others, or pursuing a future in health care, I’m driven by the belief that we’re here on this earth to lift others up. I want to create real change in the world. I want to reach for the stars, not for recognition, but to bring light where it’s needed most.”