Our next Student Story is about Laima, a Year 11 student at Maiden Erlegh School, who has been elected as one of two Wokingham Members of Youth Parliament (MYP) — a prestigious two-year role representing the views of young people across the borough.

Laima has a long-standing interest in politics and advocacy, shaped through conversations at home and a strong awareness of how political decisions affect people’s lives. When the MYP role was shared through school, she felt it was an opportunity to turn that interest into action — giving young people a voice and helping shape initiatives that matter to them.

With the support of school, Laima first presented her views to her peers and was elected as Maiden Erlegh School’s MYP representative. She then went on to compete against representatives from other schools, before being elected by young people across Wokingham at the final election held at the council offices.

Reflecting on the process, Laima spoke openly about the challenges of balancing ambition with responsibility. She explained that while she began with many ideas, she needed to listen carefully to others and refine her manifesto so it reflected a broad range of voices and was achievable within the scope of the role.

Since being elected, Laima says she has already learned a great deal — from understanding democratic processes to gaining insight into the challenges facing young people today. She has begun working with the Wokingham skills and employment manager and is collaborating with the other MYP representative to combine their manifestos into a shared vision for local young people.

One of her proudest moments was the election result itself, which she described as validating and motivating. She also discovered a real enjoyment of public speaking and advocating for issues she cares deeply about.

Laima’s message to others is clear:

“This has proved to me that if you really want to make a change, you can. There are so many brilliant platforms for young people — use them to the best of your ability.”

Laima, you’ve put so much thought, commitment and courage into this role, and it shows. A fantastic achievement.

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