July Superintendent’s Superstar shines

Maya Rugama is a 2018 graduate of University High School in the Fresno Unified School District and was chosen as a Maya Cinemas Make a Difference Scholarship winner. She is dedicated to improving the positive outcomes of others in her community through volunteerism and mentoring.

As part of her Girl Scout Eagle Project, she designed and created an Angel Prayer Garden for a local foster family agency so potential foster parents could meet with children in a serene setting. Maya is also a volunteer for the Red Cross and St. Agnes Medical Center. She hopes to become a physician and has attended various medical conferences to learn more about the field of medicine. Her family has been directly impacted by the ending of DACA, which has only fueled her passion to prove that someone from her ethnic background can be successful.

Maya joined the Association of the United States Army Sounds of Freedom Community Band at age 12 and has played for audiences throughout the state, particularly saluting veterans. 

At UHS, Maya was a peer mentor responsible for helping 10 new students throughout the year and providing them with support and encouragement. In her junior year, she was nominated by the UHS staff to represent the school at California Girls State, a week-long camp coordinated by the American Legion.