As Liberty passes the halfway point of the second trimester, a busy season of events starts for the school’s clubs and activities. One of these events is the Liberty High School Difference Makers (DM) Dance Marathon or “Big Event.” At the heart of the event are club leaders Makayla Beachy, 12, and Mia Eastman, 12.
“My favorite part [of leading DM] is communicating with all grades and getting underclassmen excited so that when I leave, the club can continue. I also enjoy seeing the impact that I can make on others when they’re having difficult times in their life,” Beachy said.
Difference Makers hosts multiple events throughout the school year, including the football Kid Captain Night, Fright Night, Winter Fest, multiple blood drives and Big Event. The dance marathon is the club’s most anticipated event of the year where the total amount of money raised throughout the school year is revealed. This year, the event will take place on Feb. 15 from 12 to 4 p.m.
“The whole day is meant to celebrate and have fun, so all of the positivity and dancing makes for a great day. I also love listening to community families talk about their story,” Eastman said.
Both Beachy and Eastman joined the club their freshman year, along with the You Matter Project, another Liberty club. Outside of school, Beachy works as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at a retirement home. She plans to attend the University of Iowa next year, where she has applied to nursing school.
If committed to Iowa, Beachy plans to join the University of Iowa Dance Marathon and work on their group’s relations committee, where she would continue to stay in contact with high schools, including Liberty, as well as the families of cancer survivors.
Eastman also plans to continue her work out of high school and into college, hoping to join the dance marathon team at Iowa State, where she will attend school in the fall for architecture. She had been passionate about the dance marathon cause for years, even before joining the club.
“I decided to get involved with Difference Makers because I had been a part of the cause for many years leading to high school. I knew a boy who was diagnosed with cancer, so me and my mom got involved in the U of I Dance Marathon to help celebrate kids like him and share their stories. I’ve been a part of the cause ever since,” Eastman said.
As the final event of the year for Difference Makers quickly approaches, Beachy and Eastman are preparing future generations of club members and leaders to take their places in leading the club and have high hopes for what the future of the organization will look like.
“I hope that we have people step up and continue putting in the work to make these events happen. It’s not easy, but I believe in my younger leaders to keep it going,” Beachy said.
Both students have made an impact on the school and community during their time at Liberty. There is no doubt that they will continue to do this as they move forward into their futures after Liberty, into college and beyond.
