JASMINE ALI
University of Maryland

“The one aspect of Blair’s traditions that has been most meaningful to me is the sense of community Blair fosters. All Blazers are very connected through the pride we have for our school, which has a history of being a renowned pubic school providing a great education to its students.” Well said, Jasmine! ...She lived up to that history as a member of the Science Honor Society, a club leader for the Code Girls (teaching girls to code since sophomore year), and being a staff writer for Silver Chips Online. In her “spare time” she earned over 1,000 hours of community service at libraries, events, and organizations, including summer reading programs for younger students. “Blair has an incredibly open community,” she notes, “regardless of who you are and where you are from. I’m a first-generation Bengali Muslim- American, but I never felt out of place.” She credits her sophomore English teacher, Bruce Williams, with building her confidence through public speaking. That led her to becoming a Silver Chips reporter, where she focused on doing stories on as many students as possible. “I’ve been able to share the stories of so many people in the Blair building, and I tried to capture the heart of Blair in my writing. By shining a light on these other students, I tried to give them a voice. At the same time, I was able to find my own voice. It’s like we’re all part in this 3,000- piece puzzle. Everyone's piece fits because we all belong.”

ABIGAIL LOUISE KOEHLER
Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University

There is something about Blair and music. Whether the Annual Shows, the Chorus, the fight songs, or the Alma mater, the music is one of Blair’s hallmarks. That’s why Abi Koehler says that “the first thing I think about when I consider Blair’s history and traditions is the Marching Band – ‘Blazer Pride’.” ...Abi has had the music in her for a long time. She’s been in the Marching Band for three years, but is an accomplished musician across the board. She’s been in the Music Honor Society, the Pit Orchestra (for musicals), the Jazz Combo, and the String Quartet at Blair. She’s also been in numerous youth orchestras and been an honors member of bands and orchestras at the state level. Music is her passion, but not her entire life. She is a well-rounded student, with a straight-A academic record for her entire four years of high school (note: something your Editor cannot even conceive!), almost all in Honors level classes. “I am the person I am today,’ she says proudly, “because of Ms Michelle Roberts. She showed me how to treat music as more than entertainment. She showed me that music is a way of enriching people’s lives, of bringing people together, and of inspiring hope and joy.” “As I continue my education to become a professional musician, I will always be guided by that purpose of serving my community. I intend to reach out and give back though public performances, teaching, and advocacy for art education. That’s what I take away from my incredible Blair experience.”

OLIVIA CATHERINE SPEAKS
University of Miami School of Architecture

How is this for a resume – National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Varsity Lacrosse, Concert Orchestra, tutor, Certificate of Meritorious Service to the Gil Scouts, and ...Fishing Club? Well, we always say we want to our Scholarship recipients to be “well-rounded” students, and Oliva Speaks most certainly is one of those. ...“There are many parts of Blair’s traditions and history that are meaningful for me and intriguing to me. I always looked forward to attending Blair because I grew up in the Woodmoor area and had siblings who went there. Also, I went to Sligo Creek Elementary and Silver Spring International Middle School in the Wayne Ave. buildings, so I got a chance to learn about Blair’s history,” she notes. “I’m glad our school was named for a man who fought for inclusion and freedom because that’s what Blair is all about.” Olivia made a special attempt to interact with all of the different types of Blair students. “I tried to make friends with everyone and bring people of different backgrounds together,” she says. “Everyone has knowledge, opinions, and experiences to share.” She says that the teacher who had the greatest impact on her is Ms Elizabeth Levien. “At first, she was my chemistry teacher, but her passion for the environment was so great I took AP Environmental Science. I wound up teaching environmental awareness workshops to first and second grade students.” “As an alumnus,’ Olivia says, “my goal is to give back to Blair, a school that has given me so much.”

LOURDES GABRIELA REYES VALENZUELA
University of Maryland

After accululating more than 10 times the required number of Student Service Learning hours and compiling a cumulative WGPA of 4.32. it’s a wonder that Lourdes Reyes Valenzuela had time for other activities. She did find that time, of course, and was a reporter and editor for the Spanish language version of Silver Chips, “Esquina Latina.” ...“I wrote about both school and nation-wide issues and topics that were relevant to the Hispanic populatrion,” she said. I have also helped with cultural activities at the school.” “My World Language teacher, Sabrina Kalin Martinez, has been the greatest support that I had at Blair,” she continued. “She talked to me clearly about the choices I had, and talked to me about my anxieties and other concerns. She said it would be hard but it would be worth the effort, and because her background was similar to mine it made a huge difference in my success.” Lourdes became active in several school and church organizations and it gave her a new perspective and confidence as she went through each of her four years of high school. “I wanted to put something back into the school,” she said, “so my peers and I joined Conexiones, a club that concentrated on helping the younger students bridge the gap between themselves and the other cultures at Blair. It was through Conexiones that I learned how the educational system works, and how I could help others take advantage of all that Blair has to offer.”