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PAGE 10 | JUNE 11 – 17, 2020 LOCAL News-Press Community News

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

& Notes

FORMER FALLS CHURCH CITY MAYOR Alan Brangman showed his support for the mass protests taking place in response to George Floyd’s death in police custody back in May. (Photo: Courtesy Patti Brangman)

Sandy Davis Fund Seeking Donations

Ten years ago, Falls Church lost Shelton Davis, or Sandy to his friends and family. His wife Mary and children Rebecca and Peter, during their time of grief, asked the Maya Educational Foundation (MEF) if it could help them establish a fund in his honor. Since Sandy had done anthropological fieldwork in the western highland region of Guatemala, such a fund was to help Maya youth in that region with their education. As MEF already had a program underway in Todos Santos Cuchumatan, the idea became a plan, the plan became action and reality.

Since 2010, promoting education for Maya children from poor economic backgrounds in that region has been the mission of the Shelton H. Davis Memorial Fund, also known as the Shelton H. Davis Scholarship Fund. In these past ten years, the Fund has allowed a continuous group of students to attend school, on average five students, now up to seven. Friends, colleagues and family have been the core group of support to this fund that has over this past decade raised just over 100,000 dollars. The scholarship students were children whose

THE WHITE COATS FOR BLACK LIVES MOVEMENT led by Drs. Jonas Wiltz, Leigh Boldt and Saleena Dakin, along with a group of physicians, nurses, clinical assistants and support staff at the Kaiser Permanente in Falls Church observed a moment of reflection on June 5. (Photo: Courtesy Saleena Dakin

families would not have sent them to higher levels of schooling had it not been for the scholarships they received.

At university level, costs for each student go up dramatically from what they were when the students were in elementary, middle or high school. The redefined thrust of the fund from 2020 on will be to provide university scholarships for students from the Santa Eulalia/Todos Santos region, with a fundraising target of $2,500 per year per student. University level is much sought after in Guatemala and hard to obtain with most Mayas lacking the resources.

Anyone who would like to support this goal and want to make a 10th year anniversary donation to the Fund in Sandy’s honor, they can do so safely at mayaedufound. org and be sure to put Shelton Davis in the dedication line.

McLean High Counselor Named State’s Best

Kathleen Otal, who serves as a school counselor at McLean High School, has been named the 2020 Virginia School Counselor Association (VSCA) Secondary Counselor of the Year. McLean High School is a Fairfax County public school.

Otal was recognized by VSCA for having a positive impact for students, their families, and their colleagues; for demonstrating innovation and leadership in counseling; and for providing exceptional service in the community.

Otal has served as a school counselor at McLean High School since 2015, where she has established programs for students in the free and reduced-price lunch program; founded Parent University to help parents support their teens in the college admissions process; sponsored a girls leadership committee; and served as co-leader of the School Equity Team and Collaborative Team.

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