Students from 23 Fairfax County Public Schools were named recipients of the 2018 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County, which were handed out in a reception held Sunday, March 11, at the Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax.

Since 2006, the awards have recognized youth who introduce programs in their schools on many different issues that promote peace and conflict resolution throughout the county. In the 2017-2018 school year, the recipients each received $200, plus another $100 to be given to any nonprofit organization of his or her choice.

“It’s an honor to be here to help recognize you today for your outstanding work to promote peace throughout Fairfax County and beyond. Your areas of focus cover a wide range of topics and methods, but all unite in one common goal, and that is to encourage and to strengthen peace and unity among all of us,” said Sharon Bulova, Board of Supervisors chairman. “In Fairfax County, we consider our diversity to be our greatest asset. It is what makes us special.”

Special guests included Bulova; U.S. Rep Gerry Connolly (D-11); state Del. Ken Plum (D-36); School Board Member Ilryong Moon; School Board Chair Jane Strauss; School Board Member Ryan McElveen; and Guest Speaker Janessa Gans Wilder, founder and CEO of the Euphrates Institute, who flew in from California for the event. The host and organizer was Margaret Fisher.

Sarah Osman, 18, of Lorton, a senior at King Abdullah Academy, worked with “RefAmerica,” which welcomed high school Syrian refugees who recently moved here. “As American high school students, we got to interact with each other and understand one another’s cultures,” she said. “We actually got to go to Congress and speak to congressional leaders on the matter of welcoming Syrian refugees into our country. I spoke about the plight of the history and how welcoming them into this country keeps the Pilgrim’s legacy alive because the Pilgrims of 1620 came into this country in hopes of starting a brand new land where there would be freedom of speech and religion.”

Alvin Kim, 17, of Annandale, who attends Annandale High School, worked with NAKASEC – The National Korean and American Service and Education Consortium. “I lobbied and worked towards immigrant rights and immigrant opportunities and also helping to improve the community around Annandale,” he said. “I did stuff like protesting for DACA, which was an Executive Order by President Obama back in 2012, and I also went to our U.S. senators such as Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to ask for their help in our cause .… We went around our school and our neighborhoods asking for petition signatures so that our representatives, both senators and House members, that they know that we care and that it is important to us that these needs are met.”

Nahom Dagnachew, 16, of Springfield, who attends Annandale High School, works with NAKASEC to promote immigrant rights. “When DACA was repealed, we did a lot of actions and sit-ins in Congress in order to promote DACA. In the last Virginia election, we also did a lot of voting promotion. We’re trying to get the voter turnout high. We managed to increase Asian turnout by 195 percent for the 2017 Virginia election. Right now, we’re working on getting a clean Dream Act approved,” he said.