Who is Vishista Nayak?

A senior at MHS, Vishista Nayak is an astounding student who is involved in many activities inside and out of school; tennis, marching band, concert band, World Affairs club, and National History Day club. In each and every club she strives to excel and does her absolute best, giving it her all even when things get tough. So how does she do it? Today we will look into her experiences with Model UN and National History Day to get a better understanding.

Perseverance and Determination

In 7th grade, Vishista had joined NHD along with a friend – Annabelle Kamerman – after considering it the year before. Her older sister had participated and ran the club through her high school years, so she had interest in it for a while before. Every year since 8th grade, her and Annabelle had placed first at the regional level without fail. Vishista had joined Model UN in her junior year of high school, tackling new challenges and experiences, making fun and enjoyable memories to look back on in the future.

Though she had excelled in these clubs, it would be wrong to ignore her perseverance through ups and downs, as not everything came easy. She believes that procrastination was the biggest cause of their struggle, often staying up till 12am on the due date to finish everything. 

She also isn’t new to the feeling of wanting to quit, despite enjoying herself and the knowledge and experience she had built up through research and constructive criticism. After not winning 1st or 2nd place in the state level for NHD but instead winning 3rd every year really took a toll on her junior year. The stress that followed Vishista in these clubs sometimes overshadowed the joy she got out of them, making it hard to be able to stay determined.

Despite all the hardships, it only served to make her stronger, and she leaves students who are uncertain about joining these clubs her own piece of advice. “Although I know it seems like a lot of work, these clubs will really help in the future. I learned a ton of these skills in 7th grade which I had tried to improve, but found that others learned it for the first time. Not to mention the fun experiences I had and the new people I was able to talk to.”

Mr. Hughes

A well loved and respected teacher at Mayfield High School, Michael Hughes teaches history and is a teacher and mentor for both MUN and NHD. His love for teaching and his interest in the subjects he teaches shine through his uplifting and compassionate personality. 

No doubt he understands the importance of getting support from teachers and staff, as he himself participated in these sorts of clubs and events growing up. In 8th grade, he participated in the National History Day competition, winning first place with his project on the Panama Canal.

It’s no wonder why he had decided to take up the responsibility 20 years ago, alongside Mr. Beck, to help run the World Affairs club and work alongside the organizations to help students from Mayfield get an opportunity to get themselves out there. He believes that is the best way to get involved and help students understand current events and work on their negotiation skills outside of class.