A Sampling of Our 2025 Scholarship Recipients
Below are the profiles of some of the 2025 scholarship awardees.
Started in 2023 by a grateful alum, the Resilience Scholarship is awarded to a student who not only has demonstrated his or her commitment to academic excellence and pursuit of a four-year college degree, but also has displayed courage, compassion, and curiosity on the journey. The Resilience Scholarship affords the opportunity to receive four years—a total of up to $10,000—of awards.
In the simple tasks of cleaning and clearing Justice Park, the Class of 2025 Resilience Scholarship recipient, Abdullah, recognized the “power of collaborative effort and how small steps can create actual change”. Over time, Abdullah’s insatiable curiosity and dedication to the project meaningfully contributed to the restoration of the park’s ecosystem. He brings the same sense of wonder and purpose to family, work, and studies. An IB diploma candidate, Abdullah excelled in math and science. Teachers noted his strong work ethic, ability to juggle varied demands inside and outside school, and passion for engaging with other students and teachers.
Abdullah and his seven-member family have come a long way from war-torn Syria. Having “overcome the impossible,” he’s learned to reach for the stars. He greets opportunity and the future with courage and confidence. Pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering at George Washington University, Abdullah hopes to play a role in medicine of the future, particularly bioprinting and organ transplantation. He believes in being “the hand that reaches back,” helping others—and the environment—to grow stronger.
Fleeing war and persecution in her home country of Ethiopia, Ahlam emigrated with her sister to live with their aunt and complete her senior year of high school. She believes education is a “path to opportunity, growth, and stability.” It is a belief that fuels her drive and determination to succeed, not only for herself but for others. In just one year, Ahlam embraced her new communities of faith, school, and extended family—and left a positive, lasting mark. Her teachers describe her as a curious, avid learner, with a mindset and dedication that is “top-notch,” and a willingness to help those around her.
A first-generation college student, Ahlam will pursue a nursing degree at Marymount University. “The experiences that shaped me—from the trauma of war to the challenges of starting over in a new country—have instilled in me a deep commitment to helping others.” She intends bringing the compassion she’s learned to make a meaningful difference to every patient.
Driven by a “passion for helping others and making a meaningful impact,” Michelle draws inspiration from her family and community.” Teachers, her counselor, and peers cite Michelle’s strong focus and work ethic. She takes charge of her learning, both in- and outside the classroom, seeking resources and experiences that deepen her knowledge and help her achieve the ambitious goals she’s set for herself. Earning outstanding grades at Justice, Michelle also wants to “uplift others.” She served as a Student Ambassador, helping newly arrived students navigate their own academic and personal journeys through high school.
Michelle credits her family for instilling the importance of taking chances, of seizing life’s opportunities, and of embracing the hard work to make dreams a reality. Living by the motto “Treat others the way you want to be treated,” Michelle also fervently believes that health plays a vital role in our lives. Together, this fuels her desire to pursue a career in medicine.
She’s proud to become a first-generation college student, attending Northern Virginia Community College and taking a step closer to becoming a doctor.
Bemnet is studying international affairs at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and plans to pursue a career in law. During high school she was an IB candidate and participated in the selective American Legion Auxiliary Virginia Girls State program, which provided an immersive opportunity to learn about government, leadership, and civic responsibility. She also participated in, and even co-founded, extracurricular organizations at Justice as well as working 20 hours per week. One of her Justice teachers wrote, “She is her own person. While she may be intelligent, hard-working, honest, and kind, Bemnet’s best quality is her individuality. She is a person who, in all aspects of her life, wants to find the right path for herself and, in doing so, fight for and encourage others to find their own path.” Bemnet aspires to use her education and future role as an attorney to address social injustices, especially in marginalized communities.
Mari is recognized by others as a determined, resilient, considerate, hard-working person who achieves impressive outcomes despite the challenges she faces. Looking ahead to college and beyond, her goal is to study radiological sciences. She is a first-generation college student with a goal of providing resources and treatment to those less fortunate than she is. While at Justice High School, she applied her bilingual skills to help others through volunteer activities such as Scholars of Other Languages in English (SOLE) and mentoring programs like Strong Readers Strong Leaders through the group Communidad. With Communidad she supported elementary school students working toward literacy. Mari was praised by the advisor to a community organization where she served as a member and an officer for two and a half years: “She is the type of club president who a sponsor would hope to work with every year.”
“I want to work with healing people's hearts because through my experience, I know what it is like to have a broken heart and how hard it is to put it back together.” Gabriela’s compassion and empathy shine through. True to her words, Gabriela wants to be a nurse with a focus on cardiovascular health because many of her loved ones struggle with heart problems. Gabriela grew up in a household where financial instability was all she knew, something she hopes to break by going to college. Gabriela has overcome significant hurdles, including health issues, which makes her 4.3 GPA all the more impressive. She ran cross country and track, worked at a bakery, joined a number of clubs, and is active in her church. Gabriela became interested in nursing when she was enrolled in the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program, which included work in a clinical setting. Today she pursues nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Ingrid is proud of her Bolivian heritage. Although she started working at age 17 (24 hours a week), she achieved outstanding grades in school and participated in several extracurriculars, including as founder and president of the Bolivian Student Association. In addition, she helped organize fund raising to help Bolivian children in need and was one of the leaders of a Bolivian dance troupe. Also, she was co-president of a community service club (the Leo Club). She achieved an impressive 4.4 GPA and was selected to be the speaker for the Public Health Youth Ambassador Program at graduation. Looking ahead, Ingrid plans to study neuroscience at George Washington University, then go to medical school to become a pediatric neurologist. She sees fulfillment in taking care of others and making a difference in people’s lives. Her high school counselor describes her as a great student, leader, collaborator, and inspiration to those around her. Managing to balance all her activities with top-flight grades makes Ingrid a deserving recipient of a scholarship from the Justice High School Scholarship Fund.
Reflecting his curiosity, enthusiasm for learning new skills, and goal of giving back to a country that has given him opportunities, Ahmad plans to study engineering at the University of Virginia. And he is off to a great start, having recorded a 4.56 GPA as a candidate for an IB degree. On top of that, he attended summer programs at Johns Hopkins University and Virginia Tech, winning the Engineering Olympics. He also represented Justice High School at a regional science fair, placing second in the microbiology category with his team. On the community service front, Ahmad volunteered at a food bank, tutored reading, and helped kids with English literacy. An introvert by nature, he used community service and participation in a variety of clubs (he was the vice president of the Model UN Club) to build his social skills and confidence. At the same time, his self-reflection and determination transformed his approach to life, and his experience with illness made him an empathetic and compassionate leader and friend. His high school counselor highlighted his ability to maintain a positive outlook, even in challenging situations, noting he embodies resilience and kindness, inspires others around him, and is a remarkable student and even more extraordinary individual.
The Rachel Nash Scholarship, given in memory of a 2005 alumna who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2022, is awarded to Victoria, who, like Rachel, is known for her quick wit and wide-ranging interests, be it STEM, creative writing, singing, or dancing. Victoria is an exceptional student, achieving a 4.48 GPA while taking 12 IB courses, and was involved in many clubs. Just as impressively, her counselor noted she is not afraid to be different and think outside the box, qualities that make Victoria a great student leader, collaborator, and inspiration to those around her. Victoria’s college essay described her unsuccessful attempts to audition as a K-pop star during COVID as perhaps unrealistic but evidence of her willingness to reach for big, bold dreams. Victoria is pursuing her current big, bold dream of becoming a certified midwife at Villanova University