Douglas has her future all planned out

Eastside High School senior Maegan Douglas plans to study political science at the University of California-Los Angeles this fall. She wants to become a prosecutor one day. Her motivation stems from a crime that affected her family when she was a child and continues to affect them to this day.

“The person who committed the crime did not get the kind of time that they were supposed to get,” Douglas said. “That was something that just kind of stuck with me. It hits me on a personal level. I want to be the person that makes sure that people who do bad things don’t get to come out after they’re not supposed to be out. I want to be the person who ensures that people get their proper justice.”

UCLA is close to home, but also far enough away that it will give her a chance to experience a different type of lifestyle.

“I love it there,” Douglas said. “It’s just a place where I can definitely see myself. I like large cities. I like bigs crowds. Big cities are my kind of place.”

She served as cheer captain for Eastside High’s varsity cheer team. The squad won the World Class Cheerleading grand championship in 2018 and 2020.

“I really like dancing,” Douglas said. “I’m not much of an adrenaline rush kind of person, but that’s definitely something that’s like an adrenaline rush for me.” What ultimately won her over to cheerleading was the idea that she could make friends on the team. She said this year has been tough, with on-campus activities canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They pulled together as a family,” she said. “I have a family among us.”

Douglas served as president of Eastside High’s Associated Student Body her junior year. This year, she serves as the group’s fifth officer or tie-breaker. She also presents to the Antelope Valley Union High School District Board of Education with other members of the group.’

“I’m a people person, so I like being able to plan activities just to see people at our school that I don’t normally see,” she said. “And it’s just fun.”

Douglas enjoys working behind the scenes on school events. That pep rally doesn’t just happen, she said.

“I like being the background person in that,” Douglas said.

She belongs to Eastside High’s award-winning Biomedical Science Academy, even though her

career goal is law.

“It was not my intended career, but oh my gosh, I love being in that program,” Douglas said.

She said the Biomedical Science Academy opens up students to different educational opportunities they might not get in other programs.

Academy coordinator Kerin Coffey said Douglas is the first person to volunteer whenever she needs help with things for the Academy.

“The thing I love most about Maegan is her commitment to being successful,” she wrote in an email. “Maegan wants to be a lawyer, but stayed in

the Biomed Academy even though her interest wasn’t in the medical field because she saw the benefit of project based learning and the collaboration and communication skills she would gain from the academy.”

Coffey said Douglas “was a true joy to have in my class every day and even when she wasn’t my student, she checked in with me always to make sure I was doing well. She’s an amazing kid! She stands up for not only herself but others that may not have a voice. This kid is definitely going to do big things and she’s making an impact every day.”

Erich Gaub, who teaches Advanced Placement World History at Eastside High, echoed Coffey’s comments.

“The first thing that stands out to me about Maegan is her desire to succeed,” he wrote in an email. “One of the first things I noticed about Maegan was she was always willing to work as hard as she could to meet her expectations and goals, but what might even be more impressive was her willingness and ability to help others succeed as well. Her caring and willingness to help others and lead by an example is something that stands out in Maegan most.”

Amanda Zimmerman, Douglas’ Advanced Placement Literature and Composition teacher said Douglas works hard at ever ything she does.

“She’s amazing because she is responsible, diligent, articulate, goal-oriented, respectful, happy, thoughtful (I really could go on and on),” Zimmerman wrote. “She is open-minded and willing to look at life (and literature) from multiple perspectives. She is supportive and encouraging, kind-hearted (here I go again), energetic, funny ... She is the leader other students want on their team. I am so blessed to have her as a student.”