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Committed to Peacemaking McLeanMcLean News, Page 3 Practice Makes Perfect A+, Page 5 State Champions, Again Sports, Page 9 Classifieds, Page 10 Classifieds, ❖ Entertainment, Page 8 ❖ Opinion, Page 6 The McLean Highlanders girls gymnastics team won its second Virginia state championship in the past three years. Requested in home 3-16-17 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Attention Postmaster: Attention Page 5 #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Photo contributed Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comMarch 15-21, 2017 online atMcLean www.connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 ❖ 1 Over $70#1 Million Team, Sold #1 inOffice! 2015 to Date! Contact HBC RealtyCall Us Group Today! to Work For You! Just Sold! Just Listed! Coming Soon! Just Listed! 4762 1st Street N 1730 Cy Court 2710 Clarkes Landing Drive 7204 Farm Meadow Court Arlington $1,069,900 Vienna $595,000 Oakton $818,000 McLean $2,100,000 Just Sold! Under Contract! Just Listed! Under Contract! 6511 Topeka Road 1171 Old Stable Road 12203 Windsor Hall Way 1719 Linwood Place McLean $950,000 McLean $1,224,900 Herndon $1,025,000 McLean $875,000 Just Sold! New Price! Under Contract! Reston Town Center! 12071 Trumbull Way Reston $634,700 6625 Weatheford Court 12025 New Dominion Parkway #206 1450 Emerson Avenue #G01-1 McLean $1,250,000 Reston $425,000 McLean $799,000 Our Mission is to Impact and Improve People’s Lives We work with Sellers, Buyers, and Investors in All Price Ranges Jenny Bill Cathy Amy McClintock Detty Peck Dilley-Davis 2 ❖ McLean Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] As a member of James Madison High School Amnesty International Club, Photos by Tim Peterson/The Connection senior Sean Doyle coordinates activism with others on such issues as Marshall senior Aidan Kemp (center) is the lead senior mentor for the abolishing the death penalty, reducing gun violence and police brutality, Marshall Freshman Transition program and does community service and convincing the Vienna Town Council to make Vienna an “I Welcome work through St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean. Refugees” town. Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County Committed to Peacemaking reception honors activists and advocates. By Tim Peterson disadvantaged foreign youth. The Connection Shaan Chudasama, senior at Chantilly High School uraya Sadeed said hearing more Chudasama co-founded and is vice presi- than 20 stories of students promot- dent of Young at Art, a non-profit organiza- Sing peace in and out of their tion using art-related activities to improve schools made her believe “there is the quality of life of seniors, less fortunate still hope for a brighter future.” children and veterans. With his sister, the Sadeed is a native of Kabul, Afghanistan other co-founder, they’ve partnered with the who made a new home in the United States Special Olympics and Sunrise Assisted Liv- in 1982, fleeing the aftermath of the Soviet ing. invasion. She founded the non-government Vanessas Mae Avendano, senior at organization Help the Afghan Children and Falls Church High School is author of “Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Avendano is vice president of Falls Guesthouse.” Church’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and The former owner of a real estate com- Transgender club and also founded Falls pany, Sadeed has risked dangerous situa- Church High School United, a group of clubs tions to deliver humanitarian aid to women united to spread peace and acceptance. The and children in war-torn Afghanistan. On group has produced a series of videos deal- Sunday, March 12, she addressed high ing with anti-bullying and giving respect. school students from around Fairfax County Sabah Munshi, senior at Hayfield being honored at the Student Peace Awards. Marshall senior Aidan Kemp (cen- Suraya Sadeed said hearing the Secondary School Sadeed spoke about the importance of ter) is the lead senior mentor for stories of students promoting Munshi helped organize a project called promoting peace through education, as a the Marshall Freshman Transition peace in and out of their schools, Walking for Water and raised both aware- preventative measure against bullying, ha- program and does community it made her believe “there is still ness of the world’s water crisis and more tred and violence later in life. service work through St. Thomas hope for a brighter future.” than $2,000 for the Tap Project by UNICEF. “The cost of providing peace education Episcopal Church in McLean. She has also volunteered at Virginia Hospi- to 8 million children in Afghanistan is less,” other elected officials in congratulating the tal Center in the renal unit. she said, “than buying one military plane.” ficking awareness to anti-genocide. award-winners. Surabhi Khanal, senior at Herndon The student peace awards are offered in “Few goals are more important in the The 2017 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax High School all Fairfax County public high schools and world today,” Evans said, “than promoting County winners are as follows, bios accord- Khanal has been a member of the some private schools. Schools choose their peace, acceptance, kindness and tolerance.” ing to the event program: Herndon Leo Club and founded MedLove, winners based on their work to promote Evans was joined in congratulating the Ethan Mirani, junior at the Cedar Inc, a non-profit organization with the mis- peace as well as prevent causes of violence: students by fellow board members Ryan Lane School in Vienna sion of helping rescue women in the United poverty, discrimination and injustice. McElveen (at-large) and Dalia Palchik Mirani was a member of the school’s Anti- States and abroad who are human traffick- Each of the individual or groups of stu- (Providence). Bullying Commitee for two years and ing victims. Through the Key Club, Khanal dents not only took action for peace, but Fairfax County Board of Supervisors vice worked to grow the group as well as plan and other students also organized a benefit did so with creative, entrepreneurial energy chairman and Mason District representative activities and keep things organized. gala to raise awareness of local trafficking — founding clubs, organizing charity Penny Gross (D) read a letter of recogni- Jasmine Howard, senior at and $3,000 for combatting HIV and AIDS projects, leading training sessions or creat- tion from board chairman Sharon Bulova Centreville High School in her native Nepal. ing documentary films. that thanked the students for their commit- Howard organized members of the Naba Khan and Shafia Tala, juniors Fairfax County School Board chair Sandy ment to peacemaking. Centreville Key Club to sell 240 wristbands at King Abdullah Academy in Evans said she was deeply impressed with All the students have come together, Gross from Guatemala, made out of leather and Herndon the work of the students being honored at read from Bulova’s letter, “in one goal, pieces of coconut shell with colored string, Khan and Talat founded the organization the Stacy Sherwood Community Center in strengthening peace and unity.” raising $1,700 in sales and donations that Fairfax, from anti-bullying to human traf- Del. Kenneth Plum (D-36) joined the went back to the wristband artisans and See Peace Awards, Page 4 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com McLean Connection ❖ March 15-21, 2017 ❖ 3 News Peace Awards Presented From Page 3 Women of the World (WOW) to promote by Photos women’s rights and help women struggling with homelessness, hunger, oppression or abuse. Some of their projects include open- Tim Peterson Tim ing a sewing institute in Nalgona, India and fundraisers involving the whole student body. Jamie Hunstad, senior at Lake Braddock Secondary School /The Connection Hunstad set up a Special Olympics pro- gram at Lake Braddock, starting with a bas- ketball team and adding track and field. She coaches both teams, and also helped the Rachel’s Challenge program find a presence at her school. Rachel’s Challenge deals with stomping out bullying and promoting tol- The Student Peace Awards are offered in all Fairfax County public high schools and some private schools. erance and inclusion. Schools choose their winners based on their work to promote peace as well as prevent causes of violence: Donya Momenian and Chrissie poverty, discrimination and injustice. This year’s awards were given out March 12 at the Stacy Sherwood Ivanova, seniors at Langley High Community Center in Fairfax. School The two seniors co-founded a chapter of find primary and secondary sources look- the Girl Up Club at Langley, growing it from ing at improving state and societal relations two to 30 members who meet bi-monthly. in Myanmar (Burma). The national and international club empow- Maiss Mohamed and Deema ers young women in education, fundraising, Alharthi, juniors at JEB Stuart High advocacy and service, as well as runs de- School velopment programs in Guatemala, India, The Stuart juniors revitalized their Liberia, Malawi, Uganda and Ethiopia. school’s Model United Nations Club and Naomi Soquar, senior at Robert E. have become active with Students in Train- Lee High School ing for Advocacy and Responsibility. They Soquar helped found a chapter of the also participate in Key Club, Girls Up and Amnesty International Club at Lee — she Interact, and volunteer with groups includ- currently serves as its president. She led ing the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organi- club members and volunteers in writing let- zation. ters against human rights violations, which Members of TJ Minds Matter, in one case contributed to two political pris- Thomas Jefferson High School for oners in the Democratic Republic of Congo Science and Technology being released. Soquar also serves with Girls The student-led group offers support for Learn International, the Capital Area Food South Lakes senior Emily Lockwood mentors freshmen transitioning to handling stress and disappointment, and Bank and Habitat for Humanity.