Florida resident James Pistole honored with vehicle through Mobility is Freedom program
Thomas A. Edison High School teacher brings reward-for-effort system to the classroom
The high schoolers from across the county band together to help those in need
Natasha Magrath runs cleaning company after coming from Lebanon in 1999
Sarah Yuhas-Schiltz is helping stray dogs from across the country
Vienna woman provides meals for Afghan refugees, others in Northern Virginia
Kristy Edlefsen works with Open FCPS to find resources for parents and students
LaPearl Smith helps bring employment to those with disabilities
Melissa Weiner received a $25,000 from the AbbVie Scholarship Program
Sergio Andrade connects with people through Hispanic culture
Being an au pair is something that made sense for Max Kaus, who has always been surrounded by children. He grew up with three younger siblings, as well as coached soccer — noting that watching kids grow and learn something new has always been really rewarding.
Kozmo Rhyu raised money for FCCGW through fencing
Joe Pisciotta is the president of Still Standing-Still Free, an organization which has hosted a free annual exhibit every year since 2010 to commemorate the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. With 2021 marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks, the exhibit this year is th…
Michael Astudillo began kindergarten at Columbia Elementary in Annandale in 1982. Fast forward 39 years, and Astudillo is now beginning his first year as the principal of the school. While Astudillo has certainly changed over the years, his fondness for the school has not.
Catalyst.org reports that in the automotive industry, women made up the majority of office and clerical workers in 2018 at 78.4 percent but were underrepresented among higher level positions like managers, which was only 18.1 percent, and executive and senior level officials and managers whi…
Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) was founded in 1973 by Anne Lewis of Loudoun County, after she found stray dogs on her property and could not find anywhere to take the dogs without the possibility of them being euthanized. So she started her own no-kill shelter and created FOHA.
Sophia Brown is a rising junior at James Madison High School in Vienna, and despite being only half-way through her high school career, she is making major strides in helping communities across the world. Brown’s parents met in the Peace Corps, and their unwavering dedication to foreign serv…
Rebecca Cousins has worked at West Springfield High School as the school’s employment and transition representative for six years. In this role, Cousins helps special education students prepare for the transition from high school to life after. She assists them with career and college explor…
Sixteen-year-old Prasidha Padmanabhan is a rising junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She recently founded the Women for Education, Advocacy and Rights (WEAR) organization which is a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for the rights, equality and representation …
Lauren Kinne has been teaching AP and freshman biology at W.T. Woodson High School for six years and in Fairfax County for 15. Kinne is the Environmental Club sponsor and faculty advisor at Woodson, a club which allows students to get hands-on experience working in nature.
Rising eighth graders Veda Murthy of Rachel Carson Middle School and Varsha Gunda of Nysmith School knew that climate change was a critical issue. Armed with their passion about the environment and knowledge of biology, the students were ready to create a solution.
Renee Gorman has been an FCPS elementary guidance counselor for more than 20 years. And while she loves her job, she knew more needed to be done for the kids in Fairfax County.
Vienna native Allan Sidley likes to make a room laugh. Despite his stage fright, Sidley got into stand-up comedy seven years ago, and has been bringing laughter to people’s lives ever since. Sidley likes to look at life with the perspective of laughing makes things better.
Chelsea Hu is a rising high school sophomore at the BASIS Independent McLean school on a scholarship. At just 15, Hu has a long resume of successes. Most recently, she presented her research about combating bank erosion at multiple high level science competitions locally and globally.
Lucian Acuff of Chantilly is a retired Navy veteran, and four years ago, found another way to give his time back to others.
Every seventeen years, the Brood X cicadas emerge from underground in the billions to swarm across many Eastern states, including Virginia, of course. While many people may fear their beady red eyes or dread their loud songs, Fairfax County insect biologist Andy Lima is here to remind us of …
Mohammed Saffouri loves film, but was expected to pursue a career in computer science. Halfway through his studies at George Mason University Saffouri decided to turn to that love in spite of a lack of support from family and friends. The results of that turn have gotten him experience direc…
Thank you to the whole community for helping me to tell the heartwarming stories of the people of this community
As the summer begins, several Fairfax businesses are balancing the needs for covid safety and a profitable season. The Reston Farmers Market enjoyed a successful opening weekend on May 1.
On Saturday, April 24th, local non-profit Food for Neighbors held one of their many annual Red Bag events, in order to provide local middle and high school students who receive free and reduced meals while in school with food for the weekends.
Gelila Reta is an Annandale native and current senior at Virginia Tech studying engineering--she’s a high achiever and never been very good at sitting still. So when she was quarantined in 2020, she began to consider starting a business, out of a desire to have something of her own.
One day in 1999, a tiny Tibetan Spaniel mix named Rascal followed Jessica Sizemore’s older brother home from school. The family wasn’t looking for a dog, but he became a very well loved part of the family.
On April 17, local nonprofit Formed Families Forward will host their seventh annual Spring Forward event, a day for the families that they serve to connect and bond over their shared experiences.
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Eleven-year-old Symphony Petrin-Randolph of Herndon, VA received a unique opportunity to interview former First Lady Michelle Obama about her new Netflix show, “Waffles and Mochi.” The show, which is aimed at early elementary school children, promotes healthy eating and creativity.
Twenty five years ago, in a small Ohio farm town in Carroll County, a young Duane Abel looked at a piece of dryer lint, and thought--what if it came to life? In 2021, that piece of dryer lint will find a new home at the Fairfax Times, but the man behind the comic has had his own journey as well.
Children fighting cancer who are hospitalized at Inova received iPads due to a partnership of local Nova charities last month, thanks to the work of Firefighter Loren Jewell of StillBrave and Ed Tourinsky of The Kids Educational Tech Foundation.
Join Fairfax CASA this year for a VIRTUAL family friendly 5K race or 3K run/walk from your own neck of the woods
NASA’s landing of the new Mars Rover ‘Perseverance’ is exciting for everyone, but has a special meaning to the Fairfax Community, and one Lake Braddock Secondary School student, Alexander Mather, in particular.
Amanda Cunningham, 29, didn’t always know she wanted to be a singer-songwriter.
When eight year old Mache Leask watched the inauguration with her parents Jay and Antares, and saw the troops that were standing guard, she became inspired to do something to “make them feel special”.
It’s no secret that being the pandemic can have an impact on our relationships. Whether you are quarantined together with your significant other, or you’re dealing with a long distance situation, there are a number of things that couples can do this Valentine’s Day to celebrate the holiday a…
The last eleven months have been difficult for everyone, but senior citizens especially. The residents of Fairfax Rehabilitation and Nursing Center have been restricted to their rooms, and not permitted visitors in order to keep them safe.
Many people are familiar with the phrase “six degrees of Kevin Bacon”, which is a reference to a game in which people have to “find the shortest path between an arbitrary actor and prolific actor Kevin Bacon, linked by films they have appeared in together”. The game can be taken to a next le…
When Westfield High Junior Naomi Tekola was six years old, she lived in Ethiopia, where her aunt would drive her to and from school every day. In the back seat, Naomi would look out at the Ethiopian children and wonder why they weren’t in school.
1. Keep it SMART. Remember that the best goals are SMART — or, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By setting a goal that follows these criteria, it will be easier to work towards and achieve that goal. For example, the New Year’s Resolution ‘I want to lose weight in …
“I believe your business should be an extension of the principles by which you run your life,” says Northern Virginia mother and founder of OmMade Peanut Butter Radhika Murari.
When Nellie Williams, a gifted education teacher at Haycock elementary school, heard that she would be teaching online for an indefinite amount of time, she knew that she needed a new environment in which to teach.
Described as a “hidden surprise”, Cafe o’Clock serves bubble tea, smoothies, coffee, baked goods and more.
Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights, starts this year on December 10*. Typical traditions include lighting the menorah and spinning a dreidel—but twenty-two years ago some Jewish families started a new Channukah tradition—eating pickles!
Giving Tuesday, which annually follows Thanksgiving, is a national day of giving aimed at supporting nonprofits as we move into the holiday season. Due to the pandemic and subsequent financial struggles, these nonprofits are stretched thinner than ever. The following list is a guide to five …
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