My name is Mikayla Feder, and I am a student at Fox Chapel Area High School in Pittsburgh, PA. I am passionate about growing businesses through marketing and helping those in need in their mental health journey.

As I mentioned above, I want to be a part of a growing business so when the opportunity to participate in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competition, I jumped on it. Another Fox Chapel Student and I developed a business for environmentally friendly swimwear and then created and presented a social media marketing strategy to increase sales to a panel of judges. That presentation earned us first place at the state-level competition against 55 other teams that had all placed in the top two of their regional competitions.

When I learned about an orphaned program called Sharpsburg Rocks seeking new leadership, I was thrilled to take it on! Sharpsburg Rocks aims to unite people through the creativity of rock painting, incorporating motivational and inspirational themes. We host monthly painting events in collaboration with Roots of Faith Thursday Night Dinner Tables, where attendees and their families can unleash their inner artist by decorating rocks with acrylic paints.

I also remember being a middle school aged girl was a difficult time and wanted to find a way to help other girls. I networked with other adults and found a licensed Social Worker who was willing to help. I coordinated an event for 30 Girl Scouts in my local community about healthy social media strategies and how to deal with online bullying.

This summer I will be an intern at Cellcore Biosciences focusing on marketing operations.

In my free time, I enjoy exercising, creating balanced recipe ideas, listening to music, and spending time with my friends.