Thirty-four high school students from Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) who form part of the 2022-23 Human Rights Student Leadership Council (HRSLC), culminated their year of serving on the council with a special graduation ceremony.
Congratulations to the following PWCS 2022-23 HRSLC graduates:
- Alejandro Alegre, Unity Reed High School
- Benjamin Aliu, Woodbridge High School
- Pranavi Ancha, Gainesville High School
- Steven Barnes, C.D. Hylton High School
- Vivienne Behl, Osbourn Park High School
- Nicole Blandon, Freedom High School
- Meili Britton, Woodbridge High School*
- Tamminh Bui, Battlefield High School
- Mahika Datta, Osbourn Park High School*
- Natnael Demelash, Woodbridge High School
- Maya Eldredge, Battlefield High School
- Soza Faeq, Gainesville High School
- Corey Farrow, Unity Reed High School
- Aliza Gill, Freedom High School
- Naomi Gullett, Woodbridge High School
- Kelina Johnson, Potomac High School
- Tyson Jordan, Forest Park High School*
- Kabeer Khan, Potomac High School
- Ephratah Kahsay, Woodbridge High School
- Manuela Kodwo, Osbourn Park High School
- Sophia Kona, C.D. Hylton High School
- Rania Lateef, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School*
- Iliana Mays, Woodbridge High School
- Aileen Mejia Mazariegos, Freedom High School
- Candice Mensah, Patriot High School*
- Monika Miranda, C.D. Hylton High School
- Isabella Moroziewicki, Woodbridge High School
- Thomas Reed, C.D. Hylton High School
- Malaika Rehman, C.D. Hylton High School
- Anika Senan, Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School
- Alina Sharifi, Osbourn Park High School
- Emily Sherman, Brentsville District High School
- Bora Yoon, Battlefield High School*
- Nancy Young, Brentsville District High School
*These PWCS students presented their essays to the Human Rights Commission.
The Human Rights Commission offers participation in the Human Rights Student Leadership Council (HRSLC) to current high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors within Prince William County who have an interest in human rights. The council helps develop young leaders and promotes dialogue on diversity, understanding, and an appreciation of the differences among students.
As part of year-end projects, students were asked to frame an issue they cared about to the Human Rights Commission and establish why it is important and present an argument of a potential solution. They were charged with finding arguments that supported their issue and their requested course of action. In their closing argument, students had the unique chance to make a direct recommendation such as requesting the issue be studied further, passing a resolution, or any other action they believed could make a difference.
Meili Britton, junior at Woodbridge High School, shared what it meant to participate in this activity, “Presenting in front of the Human Rights Commission gave me hope for the future of our society. Knowing that the commission and so many adults within PWCS care and will act upon student voices gave me hope for not only my future, but for my sisters and the many students within this school district.”
Bora Yoon, a sophomore at Battlefield High School, shared, “Because the HRSLC is such a safe and open space for many, it gave me the opportunity to discuss my views on human rights a lot more freely. I hope to apply this in my day-to-day life and develop the confidence to speak about my beliefs even if people may disagree or judge me for it. The confidence, courage, and hope I gained from the HRSLC is something I will hold onto forever. The motivation to reach out to others about human rights issues was also so touching. And seeing other students even come up to me [after my presentation] asking me about the youth organizations I'm a part of to help and fight for rights they care about lifted my spirits.”