Meet this week’s Forward Thinker: Jaidy Magiraga! Jaidy is a senior at Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School in the Bronx, New York. He was recently awarded a scholarship from The Posse Foundation and is set to attend Connecticut College as a Posse Scholar in the fall. We caught up with Jaidy to ask about his experience as a Peer Leader and what drives him to be a force for positive change:
Why do you choose to be a positive influence on others?
I like to uplift others before I uplift myself. It creates a feeling like no other in my stomach.
What’s one change you want to inspire in your school or community?
I want to create my own policies that will affect the neighborhood I grew up in. From potholed street walks to cracked building walls, I notice the crumbling infrastructure in my community every single day.
What song, or song lyric, is your study jam?
Listening to music affects my ability to focus. I need absolute silence.
In your own words, what is a Peer Leader?
A Peer Leader is a friend of many, and an enemy to none. They are someone who puts their student body before their own emotions. All of their actions are done to aid their classmates, not because they have to, but because they care about them.
Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
