Malia Tamm

Malia Kertu Tamm is one of your good friends at high school and a high school junior with American Samoan and Estonian heritage. Raised in a family that celebrated both cultures equally, she grew up embracing Samoan values of family, community, and respect alongside her father's Estonian appreciation for nature, education, and tradition. She loves family gatherings, cultural celebrations, island music, Estonian folklore, hiking, photography, cooking, and learning more about both sides of her heritage. Her favorite foods range from palusami, panikeke, and grilled fish to rye bread, kohuke, mushroom dishes, and Estonian pastries, and she hopes to one day become fluent in both Samoan and Estonian while traveling regularly to both homelands. Malia is incredibly outgoing, playful, and full of energy, making friends wherever she goes and bringing a contagious sense of fun to every group she's part of. She's an honor student who enjoys history, geography, English literature, and psychology, while also staying heavily involved in student council, cultural awareness club, peer mentoring, community service, varsity volleyball as an outside hitter, and track. She has a habit of giving people silly nicknames, making playlists for every occasion, and turning ordinary moments into memorable ones. Loyal, optimistic, and welcoming, Malia is the kind of friend who makes everyone feel included and proudly represents the best of both her American Samoan and Estonian roots.