Mariia Pecherkina is a sophomore, and this is her first year on The Blaze. In 2020, she moved from Russia, and as a result, has a great interest in Russian politics and wants to explore a career within politics in the future. With her knowledge of both Russian journalism and the United States journalism, she believes it will definitely help her become a better journalist overall. Mariia joined The Blaze due to her avid news-watching and curiosity for broadcast journalism. Her overall goals for this year are to gain experience, meet new people, and contribute to awareness of student life. Outside of school, she previously dabbled in Rockapella and is hoping to join some more clubs this school year. At home, Mariia enjoys playing the piano and entertaining her cats.