Maya Laxer

Maya Laxer is a 17 year old student born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. With great passion for psychology and law, Maya is committed to advocating for social justice and is determined to create a more equitable society for everyone, especially those in under-privileged circumstances.  

Growing up, Maya has always had a strong passion for criminal psychology. This began in middle school, where she wrote an essay on illegal organ transplants, leading to ignite a spark of curiosity that continued to burn brightly in high school where she created multiple school projects on criminal behavior. These projects revealed the far-reaching impact of the environment, including poverty and family, played a large role in criminal behavior, and she discovered the injustice many are subjected to due to systemic institutions. This led to her determination to use psychology as a tool to promote those in under-priviledged environments and improve their quality of life.

Maya has been taking global leadership courses, and has recently done a TedX Talk on the harms of social media. She also is passionate about helping those in need, and often volunteers at Hands on Tokyo, a NPO which offers a variety of volunteer opportunities. In addition to local volunteering, Maya is also working as a leader for Combating Human Trafficking – a dedicated service group which advocates for human trafficking in Japan. She plans and executes events to raise awareness about this issue, as human trafficking is not seen as a common problem in Japan, when in reality, it is a major destination, source, and transit country of human trafficking which requires urgent attention. Maya also interacted with multiple Non-Profit Organizations in Japan, and broadened her understanding on human trafficking. Through these experiences, she seeks to find the underlying reason for this crucial matter.

In the future, Maya hopes to gain a deeper understanding on psychology, criminal behavior, and law, to fight against injustice and institutions which limit under-privileged people from access to a standard of life. She aspires to provide access to justice for people at all levels, and create an inclusive, peaceful society.