I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Maya: 2017 Class Graduate, Musician, Performer, and proud Steiner kid. Daughter of Golden Hill’s arts whiz Silvia and science & tech-minded teacher John, Maya grew up with creativity and curiosity baked into her everyday life. We caught up to talk about her experience of Steiner School and find out what she is up to now.

Maya is currently studying a Bachelor of Contemporary Music at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts), with her voice as her main instrument.

“Right now, I’m living on campus at ECU,” Maya tells me, just after getting home from a vocal techniques class. “We’re working on harmony arrangements, which is really collaborative and super fun.” She has described her studies so far as being “intense but super rewarding”.

After finishing high school, Maya took a couple of years to work and travel. She saved up by cleaning at her old high school and teaching violin lessons here at Golden Hill. “I knew I wanted to travel, but the idea of going by myself and where to go felt daunting.” Maya started small with a trip to Melbourne and then dove into the deep end by booking a last-minute trip to Europe.

On these travels she formed beautiful friendships that she still maintains today, and sparked what she calls her “travel year”, which included a road trip through New Zealand with her partner…in winter! “We’re both a bit obsessed with Lord of the Rings, and it was like whoa we are in Middle Earth right now!”.

 “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do straight away, so I gave myself some time…but I really missed making music. That’s what brought me back”.

Getting into WAAPA wasn’t originally part of the plan, but after a nudge from a friend (a fellow bandmate from her high school funk band “SLAM”), she applied…and got in! Now she’s back doing what she loves most: singing, learning, and performing alongside a tight-knit group of creative students.

When Maya was at Golden Hill, the school only went up to Class 6. Maya completed the rest of her schooling at Denmark Senior High School. “It was a pretty big shift”, she described and credits her Steiner foundation for helping her find her way again. “Eventually I remembered that learning isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about actually caring about what you’re doing… It’s crazy how much things change when the goal is different”.

That sense of learning through experience, and not through pressure is something Maya still really values. “We never focused on grades. I just coloured my books the way I wanted, wrote things in a way that helped me remember, and had fun with it. And weirdly, I actually retained way more info than I did in high school”. Such is the power of embodied education.

Looking back on her time at Steiner, Maya remembers the plays as a standout part of her experience. “Each year we’d perform a class play based on something we were learning during main lesson: Norse mythology, Greek stories, Roman history”. “By Year 6, we even wrote our own songs for it.”

Having the same class teacher (Chrystal Rogers) from Year 2 to 6 was another standout. “We were like a little family. You knew what to expect each year, and she got to grow with us. That kind of consistency made a big difference.”

In the recent uni break, Maya returned home to Denmark and was promptly asked if she wanted to attend the Winter Festival, to which she enthusiastically replied, “of course!” “It was wild seeing how big it’s gotten; more people, new buildings - but it still had that same energy.”

Maya’s connection to the school remains strong, especially since both her parents now work at Golden Hill! Her mum is back running playgroup on Tuesdays (like she did when Maya was little), and her dad, a former engineer, now teaches maths, science and digital technologies.

So, what’s next? With the entire WAAPA program moving into the city next year, Maya’s bracing for a bit more city life, and probably a longer commute. But for now, she’s right where she wants to be - making music, surrounded by creative people, and doing what she loves.

Thankyou Maya for sharing your story with us! It’s a pleasure to hear how your heart is leading you as you continue to walk your own unique path.

If you know of an alumni who would be willing to share their story with us, please send a message to office@goldenhill.wa.edu.au with their name and contact!

Written by Bridget Leigh