Joya Haskin (’21) has a promising future ahead of her.
Where are they going?: Joya Haskin
Welcome to The Mav’s Senior Tradition where we highlight our current seniors and discuss where they are headed to.
Joya Haskin (‘21) is graduating this year and heading off into the adult world.
After high school, Haskin will attend Colorado State University in Fort Collins to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English with a focus in creative writing. She might choose to double major and study journalism in addition to English to expand her career options.
Either way, Haskin has always wanted to be a writer. “Ever since I was little, I was always writing,” she said. “For me, writing is… a creative outlet. Some people do art, they draw, they paint. Some people dance or sing. And for me, it’s mostly writing.”
Haskin is also a voracious reader, and one of her favorite high school memories was going to the American Library Association 2018 Midwinter Meeting with Mead’s YA Book Club. “We just got a bunch of free ARCs [Advance Reader Copies],” she said. “I felt like we all bonded there, and it was just, like, free books, obviously.”
Another treasured time for Haskin was being a football manager. “Getting to be on the field with the boys… it’s just so much fun, and the energy is amazing.”
A piece of advice for underclassmen from Joya: “Wear sweatpants to school. No one cares… If you’re gonna dress up, dress up for yourself, not for other people.”
On a more serious note, she said, “Just do the work. Anything is better than zero.” She encourages students to do as much as they can but not overwork themselves, especially with AP classes.
Haskin thinks the teacher that most impacted her is Mrs. Hedlun. “I love having Book Club with her, and I love getting to just, like, talk to her… She’s the kind of English teacher everyone needs in their life.”
Speaking of her favorite classes, Haskin said that journalism is “the only thing keeping me sane right now”. She is The Mav’s current managing editor.
“It’s a little nerdy,” she added, “but I love AP Lit. Mrs. Baxter is great… her happiness is contagious.”
Though she’ll only be a short drive away up at CSU, Mead High School will miss Joya’s friendship, her creativity, and her many other contributions to our community.