Maya Duarte

Maya participated in an internship during the summer that took an unexpected turn when she saved the life of a young boy who was drowning. As she was working on the beach, she heard screams at the pool near her and ran over to discover what was happening. This was when she witnessed a little boy who was purple and blue and unconscious inside the pool. She jumped into the pool fully clothed in her work uniform in order to reach the child quickly. She then immediately performed CPR as she had been previously trained as the police was called. After some time performing compressions thankfully the boy began to breathe and regained consciousness. After the ambulance arrived the boy was taken to the hospital and a few days later she received news that the boy was okay. Cameras revealed that the boy had been unconscious for around 5 minutes before Maya arrived. Maya’s ability to perform under a high stress situation helped her save a life that day. At school, Maya is a phenomenal young lady who excels and is always looking to help others. She is part of student government, helps tutor her friends in SAT, and works in her father’s restaurant to help her family. Maya is not only an excellent student, but a true hero.