Carley Maffia, January Student of the Month, is a prime example of what a dedicated student is. She indulges herself in multiple activities, such as Key Club, Girls Helping Girls Club, Environmental Club, Multicultural Club, etc.. Continuing her ambitions, she also holds the position of Secretary for the National Honors Society and is the Senior Editor of the yearbook. In addition to her extracurriculars, she is a High Honors student who has taken a plethora of Honors and Advanced Placement classes at Becton. She is even ranked 6th in her class! Taking on these rigorous courses and extracurriculars embodies her desire to grow and be a part of something greater. Maffia shares, “Any failures of mine have taught me lessons. In order to succeed, I need to fail and learn from my mistakes. I believe a true failure is when one gives up and stops trying, since then, a lesson can no longer be learned.” 

Every great success story comes with a downfall that was shortly overcome. Luckily, having a great family support system has made Maffia’s journey a lot easier thus far. She explains, “I always overcome struggles with my family by my side. I am very family-oriented and together they help me through all of my endeavors. I know not everyone has a big family to turn to for help, and I am truly grateful for everyone I have in my life. I do not know where I would be without the love and support from those around me.” The Becton family is yet another solace where Maffia undoubtedly receives that support. 

As for the future, Maffia paints a small picture depicting her next five years. She sees herself receiving her Master’s Degree in accounting while also starting her professional career as a certified public accountant. She expresses, “I also see myself still living in New Jersey since I cannot imagine moving far away from my family.” Maffia aspires to live life to the fullest… “I want to make as many memories as I can so I can look back one day and not regret how I lived my life. These memories could be from traveling, concerts, spending time with family and friends, or one day starting a family of my own.” 

Maffia exudes happiness when speaking about her “Student of the Month” achievement. She mentions, “I have worked very hard over the past four years to be the best well-rounded student I could possibly be. This accomplishment validates my hard work as well as inspires others to try their best in school.” She goes on to impart some of her newfound wisdom: “Balancing school and extracurricular activities are all about time management. I always make sure my school work is done before moving on with my day. After my school work is complete, my time is dedicated to extracurricular activities or to personal time I can cherish for myself. When things seem to pile up, I make sure to prioritize my work so that way I make time for all my responsibilities and passions as well.”

Finally, Maffia shares these last words, “The phrase ‘living life to the fullest’ has different meanings to everyone, so my advice would be to find out what this phrase means to you. It may be traveling the world or starting a family, but you will never know until you seek to discover it’s meaning.” Congratulations Carley Maffia!