The crowd sits in amazement as they watch her gracefully and confidently take over the stage as she dances. Mikayla Brito is a senior here at Agua Fria. She’s captain of the pom team, president of the dance program, and an avid member of student council. 

Mikayla started dancing when she was four and it has had a huge impact on her life and the development of herself as a whole. From impacting who she is as a person to shaping her whole high school experience, dance is something that has taught Mikayla a lot.

“Practice doesn’t make perfect no matter what,” Mikayla said. “But training, hard work, and the hours you spend are worth it, definitely if it’s something you love.” 

Here at Agua Fria, Makayla has led the pom team both on the football field, on the sidelines of basketball games and even while competing in California at Nationals. The pom team would not be the same without Mikayla and her commitment to it. 

One of Mikayla’s biggest mentors is her dance coach Megan Marmon. She’s been her coach and teacher for two years now and they quickly bonded.

“She stayed and she pushed through, someone I definitely relied on,” Mikalya said.

The connection that Mikayla and her coach have is so cute. I’ve seen it first hand both on and off the stage. Coach Marmon has pushed Mikayla to be a better dancer and leader, which in turn has affected the whole dance program as a whole. 

“Her work ethic has impacted the dance program a lot,” Coach Marmon said. “Her coming in and kinda giving her full effort and using her technical skills that she has in dance has shown and put a really strong work ethic in the younger classes.” 

Mikayla has left an impact on this program more than anyone else has in the past. She has taken what they have and run with it. She played a large role in coming back from Covid and revamping the dance program, especially with our school having such a small performance dance group. 

I’ve talked to many of the younger girls in the dance program and all of them have said pretty much the same thing. They are all impressed by her skills and look up to her not only as a dancer but as a person. They aspire to be like her and admire her as a person. 

Junior Amaya Hunter and Mikayla are best friends who met three years ago when Amaya joined the pom team during Mikayla’s sophomore year. They have bonded through their love for dance. They have been able to share a passion for dance and push each other to get better. 

“She is extremely thoughtful and an amazing friend,” Amaya said. “She never fails to make me laugh and always knows the right thing to say.”

Both Mikayla and Amaya shared that one of their favorite memories together was going to Nationals for pom and getting to go to Disneyland with each other as well as the rest of the pom team.

Mikayla has a confidence that radiates to the people around her. I can say firsthand that the people who know Mikayla are always left better than before. She is a light on this campus and will be missed both in the dance and pom programs and in the classroom as well. 

Another one of Mikayla’s admirable attributions is her work in the student council as a senior class representative. This is where Mikayla and I met and let me tell you, there is never a dull moment with her. She has a contagious smile and will light up any room she walks into. 

It is obvious that Mikayla commits to the things she loves. Her hard work and dedication in both dance and StuCo will leave Agua Fria better than before. 

“Being friends with Mikayla has taught me to live life to the fullest and to not care what other people say about you,” Amaya said. “It helped me realize to have fun not thinking about what others think.”

Without even saying it directly, Mikayla inspires people in many ways with her bubbly personality and sarcastic humor she has shown people to be their true selves. Mikayla is an inspiration and has shown people through her hard work and dedication that she is a force to be reckoned with.

Mikayla is truly one of the most genuine people I know and is an amazing friend, person and dancer. Agua Fria is honored to have her as a student here and I know the work she’s put in the better the school as a whole will not go unnoticed. 

“At the end of the day our school really looks for leadership and that’s who she is as a person,” Coach Marmon said. 

Outside of school and dance, Mikayla works a part-time job and loves working out at the gym. She is there almost every day and is always wanting to better herself physically and mentally. 

“Working out, like dance, makes me more confident and makes me feel better about myself,” Mikayla said. 

It’s impressive that Mikayla can fit this all into one schedule and still excel in all she does. I’ve seen her working hard both in and out of class on her schoolwork, helping at events, performing with pom, and working on her dances, which is not easy to manage for one person. 

“I had to figure out a way to fit in work, school, practice, and other outside activities that I enjoy,” Mikayla said. “Obviously I put school and practice before work which is just my choice.”  

I’ve never met someone more driven to succeed than Mikayla. In the future, she hopes to further her education either at EMCC or ASU. Both are places she’s received scholarships from. She is still deciding, but I know wherever she ends up she will thrive and impact that school just as she did at AFHS.

It has been an absolute pleasure being friends with Mikayla and I know she will thrive in all that she does. I’m excited to see where she ends up in the future and what she achieves after high school.