Massimo Mejia Senior Spotlight

You’ve been very involved in HAAMS, HOLA, Peer Counseling, and UMC, all clubs centered around our inclusion in our school community. Why is this important to you, and has your involvement been rewarding? 

My involvement has definitely been rewarding, it’s what I wrote my personal common app essay about. I guess the reason why it’s so important to me is because of the family I grew up in. My family is spread across the world and comes from different backgrounds. My dad is Ecuadorian and lives there, my dad’s side of the family is Catholic, my mom is Italian, was raised Jewish, is now Catholic. I have those different pieces of me. My step-dad who raised me since I was two years old is Black from West Philly. When it comes to inclusion, diversity has been a big piece of my life and I want to create those kinds of spaces for other people where they can feel included and they can talk about the pieces of themselves that excite them—the pieces that they don’t usually get to talk about and connect with in public. It’s usually in private spaces with family. 

What is your favorite Mock Trial objection and why?

My favorite object that I’ve heard of is from Yassmine. She goes, “Your Honor, the witness is lying.” But my favorite mock trial object is speculation. 

What is one piece of advice you would give your freshman self?

Just try to stay calm and work through it all. Enjoy the little things of the day, don’t get too worked up over what has to be done, try to enjoy the day.

What is your favorite Masterman high school memory? 

Umm… uh… let’s see. I guess my favorite thing… I like getting Halal after school. 

You’ve been known to sport some pretty baggy jeans. Can you tell us why you are drawn to this style?

I think I’m just a bum. I think that’s why. It makes it a lot easier to shop for jeans and I think it looks cool.  

What is something most people do not know about you? 

I feel like people know a little too much about me. I don’t know if I should give the people any more info than they already have. 

I hear you are an extremely talented guitar player. What is your favorite song to play?

I’m a really bad guitar player. I’ve written a couple of songs, those are probably my favorites, but by other people, anything by Elliot Smith. I love Elliot Smith. I was in his top 1% of listeners last year. 

What is your least favorite song to play? 

My mom makes me play guitar at our caroling parties every year. I have to play the guitar for like forty people and stuff that is not meant to be played on guitar, like piano songs.

What room will you miss most at Masterman and why?

Massi: Third floor boys bathroom.

Lachlan: The Africa window?

Massi: What are you talking about?

Lachlan: On the third floor boys bathroom there's the window with the paint chipped off and it kinda looks like Africa. On the bottom right you can see Madagascar—Madagascar is there too. It’s like you have the little curve, and right here there's a little thing that looks like Madagascar. You have to use your imagination a little bit. 

Massi: Well I think it’s a social epicenter. I just run into so many people. I did mock election negotiations there, it’s just—

Ostrikov: Lachlan and Massi, you two are so loud. If you ask me to reopen the assignments, I won’t.

Massi: I will never do that Mr. OStrikov. I’m on my grind.