Leah Maliszewski

Leah Maliszewski – Virginia
Nomination by Carrie Maliszewski
Photography by Melissa Waller Photography
Issue 88 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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Nomination: Leah is an inspiring senior. Diagnosed with dyslexia, Leah struggled to learn to read and navigate a traditional school setting. Through tremendous dedication, she earned a 3.8 high school GPA, including an A in AP Literature. Additionally, Leah is a talented field hockey goalie. She earned the distinguished District Goalie of the Year Award for an unprecedented, consecutive 3 years, breaking several records, including Most Career Saves at an impressive 640. She will play Division II hockey and major in Exercise Science. Leah is proof that focus, determination, and a desire to succeed can overcome the toughest of obstacles.
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Photography by Melissa Waller Photography
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What do you wish others knew about dyslexia?
People think dyslexia is simply a disability that makes it difficult to read or that makes words move around the page and letters flip. However, dyslexia is much more than switching b’s and d’s. Many incredibly smart people have dyslexia including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Henry Ford and Walt Disney. Each of these successful individuals are incredibly creative and innovative. People with dyslexia just learn differently from the majority of people. We see the world differently. Dyslexics demonstrate incredible creativity and unique ways of thinking. Although it makes traditional learning difficult, it is also a super power.

What did you love most about AP Literature?
The thing I love most about AP Literature is learning everyone's different perspectives. In this class, we do a lot of annotations of excerpts and discussions about them. It's been very interesting to listen to my classmates' interpretations and discover how everyone deciphers the author's underlying themes differently.

What was your favorite class this year and what was the most interesting thing you learned?
My favorite class this year is Anatomy and Physiology. I love this class because I find it super interesting to learn all about how our bodies work and function everyday. The most interesting thing I've learned in this class is about the eye. It sounds strange, but there were so many more parts of the eye than I realized and vision is something most people take for granted. So many things have to work together, which is such a beautiful thing. We even got to dissect a goat's eye at the end of the unit!

Tell us about your field hockey career. When did you get started and where are you at with it now? I started field hockey when I was in 5th grade after taking a break from gymnastics. I played at school and then started playing year round. When I got to high school, I was extremely excited to have made Varsity my first year. Being a freshman on Varsity pushed me to be better everyday and taught me great work ethic. By my junior year, I was visiting colleges to see if I could continue playing in college. I am so grateful to have found Frostburg State University where I will be playing D2 field hockey in the Fall.

What does earning distinguished District Goalie of the Year 3x over mean to you?
Each year, earning this award has meant something different to me. When I was a sophomore, I was so honored to know that the District coaches believed in my ability. The second year, I was honored to know that they recognized how hard I worked to improve. And, this year, I felt honored to continue to be chosen among so many other amazing goalies in our District. Over the years, I have experienced the many ups and downs that come with a high pressure position, but this award has been a major encouragement for me to keep going.

Why does being a goalie suit you?
Initially, my older brother was an ice hockey goalie and I just wanted to follow in his footsteps. Now, being a goalie means much more to me. It takes a certain kind of player to want to be in the line of fire. You have to not only be physically prepared, but also mentally strong. The goalie is the backbone of the team and I take pride in being able to support my team and have their backs. I enjoy the challenges that come with my position.

What has field hockey taught you?
Field hockey has taught me many things including confidence, work ethic, teamwork, and leadership but the greatest is how to be mentally strong. Mental strength is a huge part of playing any sport, but especially for goalies because my mistakes are emphasized on the scoreboard as a point for the opposing team. I have to recover quickly when things don’t go in my favor. I learned to channel those mistakes into what fuels me. This took me many years to learn, and it was not easy, but it has helped me in so many real life situations.

Share your favorite memory with your field hockey team.
My favorite memories are from both of our recent Pink Out games. As a team, we raised money for Breast Cancer Research, which is a cause that is near to my heart because both my Grandmothers had the disease. I played in honor of my mom’s mom, whom I never met. Last year, we beat the best team in our district for the first in 7 years in overtime. This year, we beat another rival team 1-0 in a shootout. The energy on the field and in the stands was electric!

Why did you choose to major in Exercise Science?
I am interested in combining my love of sports and a desire to work in the medical field. My college has an excellent program for this major where I can get real, hands-on experience.

What do you hope to do with your degree?
After college, I plan to study sonography and become an ultrasound tech. I’m hoping my degree will help prepare me for a more focused career in the medical field.

What is your ideal dream job if it were offered to you today?
It’s hard to choose just one dream. Of course, the most important job I aspire to is a wife and mom. As mentioned earlier, I hope to be a medical sonographer someday. I also would love to be a field hockey coach. I have had the pleasure of working with and mentoring many younger goalies over the past few years, to include volunteering at my old school where I discovered my love for the position. I find it very rewarding to watch each player grow in their own unique style and technique.

What inspiring things about you does your nomination not cover
Not many people know this about me but, along with my struggles in the classroom when I was young, I also struggled socially. I was teased and picked on at recess, on the bus, and other social settings. Although this took a big toll on me at the time, I am now very thankful I was able to persevere through these challenging times because not only have I found new confidence because of this, but also as I've grown, it has reminded me how important it is to show kindness to everyone.

What else would you like to talk about?
Despite my initial struggles with reading and writing, poetry has been one of my biggest coping mechanisms as I've gotten older. Poetry is a huge part in how I process big events and emotions as I start new things or face new challenges. When I have a lot going on, I find that the words just flow when I sit down to write. Poetry has been an amazing outlet for me, and I always encourage others to try it out!

What do you feel passionate about or could talk about forever?
Faith is a huge part of who I am and how I've gotten as far as I have. I find that no matter the chaos that may be going on in my life at the time whether that be a stressful moment on the field or just the overwhelming waves of life, my faith is always there to catch me when I fall. I've definitely gone through some dark times and tried all the worldly things to help make me feel better, but the only thing that has worked is prayer. I owe all my success to the Lord.

How did you find your photographer? What was your experience like? What did you love most?
I found my photographer through a friend who had previously done pictures with her. I'm so glad I joined Melissa’s team. I have absolutely loved every second of it. Melissa really has a way with teens. I've never felt so comfortable in front of the camera before. She is so easy to work with and always has me leaving photo shoots eager to see my pictures.

What is a favorite memory with or thoughts of the person who nominated you?
It's hard to sum up my mom in just 100 words. My mom is one of my very favorite people. She is so selfless and will do whatever she has to do to see a smile on my face. My Mom has worked incredibly hard to parent me and my siblings while my dad is gone on trips for the military, and she has done an amazing job. Some of my favorite memories have been just simply the moments where we talk and laugh for hours on the couch. Sometimes laughing so hard we cry. I love her so much.

Why do you want to be in Inspiring Teens Magazine?
Our youth needs more realistic role models. It's okay to have faults, it's okay to struggle; it's how you use these things to motivate you that matters. Even more than that, it's who you are that matters. I want to share my story so I can be this kind of role model for little girls and boys just like I was, and show them that you are so much more than whatever you may be struggling with. I want them to be able to embrace who they are and take on the world with confidence and kindness.

If you win a scholarship, what will you do with the money?
If I won this scholarship, I would donate half the money to Mary's shelter in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I donated pajamas to the families there for Christmas when I was in 7th grade, and it was such an amazing experience. I would love to be able to help these families out again. With the other half, I would set it aside to save up for college, including sonography school which I plan to attend after my 4 years in college.

Look for Leah in issue 88 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
*Interviews are not edited after received from our inspiring teens - what you read is who they genuinely are!

click here for more information on issue 88

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