Hi, my name is Layla and I’m a student at Mountain View High School exploring my creative interests through Freestyle Academy. I’m passionate about architectural design, wildlife conservation, and poetry, which allow me to explore the world around me and express my perspective in different ways. I’m especially interested in how architecture shapes our everyday experiences and can create more sustainable spaces. Making art projects and designing new things to help people is what drives me.
I value empathy and curiosity, and I believe everyone has a unique lived experience that is worth sharing. Curiousity is the backbone to every designer and staying curious is what allows me to gain new perspectives and fuel my creative writing. I crave learning peoples stories as well as sharing my own, and having empathy for everyone creates a judgement free zone where we can appreciate eachothers authenticity. By learning from peoples different backgrounds, I hope to better piece together the world around me. My dream is to travel the world and have a job that not only allows me to record different community issues, but help design ways to solve them.
I chose to become a Freestyle student because I want to explore my endless itch to create beyond traditional learning. My current life obsessions are playing and coaching tennis, babysitting kids in my community, painting, and writing poetry. I’m excited to continue developing my creative skills at Freestyle Academy and beyond.
Affiliations
Celebrating Writers and Writing in Our Communities: An Anthology of the Winning Entries of the Redwood Writing Contest 2026
Published Poet and 1st-place winner
Poem title: “Put Yourself in Someone Else’s Boots”
Published Honorable Mention
“Put Yourself in Someone Else’s Boots” was featured in Issue 10.4 Bridge Ink and won Honorable Mention for the 2026 PWN Teen Voice and Verse Writing Contest. Judge’s Note: “Put Yourself in Someone Else’s Boots” allows itself to take up space and demand that its voice be heard. Using rhythm and power in each verse, the poem is invigorating for a reader and serves as a call to action.
I am the creator of Binthere.org, an environmental education initiative designed to make sustainability more accessible to children through simple explanations of news on sustainability innovations, illustrations on recycling, and interactive resources to better understand sustainable concepts. I hope to motivate younger generations to make environmentally conscious choices and make environmentalism more accessible.
Click the image to visit the site!
The JAMMA Impact– $100000 raised for the MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION, 500 students, 50 coaches, 25 classes (public and private) in 6 Locations, Awards: MVP for the Michael J. Fox Foundation 2023, 2024
JAMMA is a nonprofit Tennis Coaching Organization in the Bay Area that is led by high school tennis players. I became a JAMMA tennis coach my sophomore year, the same year I made the Mountain View High School Girls Varsity Tennis Team. I’ve coached at JAMMA for 3 years and love being part of the tennis community in my town. Coaching tennis not only improved my skills as a player, but working with young children also taught me that patience and positivity are crucial to maintaining a strong work ethic and connecting with people.
Let your dreams be your wings