Spirit & Tradition. Alumni can be lifesavers for current students when they return to give back. Simply put–students identify with young adults who have graduated from their institution and have experienced much of what they currently experience walking the same halls and grounds. We find that they also identify with help from individuals with same lived experiences.
Pride. FHS alumni that have been in the DLO program come back in large numbers to serve current students. Being around alumni makes students feel invested in and also deepens their sense of community. Fairfax city football champ Kevin Golden ’11 had words of encouragement for football players in attendance at our November meeting. Hours later football players faced off against Washington Prep HS on campus in playoffs–only a few steps away from Greenway Court Theatre.
Sense of Belonging. DLO creates a mini community for many students that are often disconnected for various reasons. Many students admit that it is helpful to interact with successful adults from a similar cultural background as it helps strengthens their confidence in their own abilities in addition to helping them face their insecurities.
Imperfect but Valued. Students are taught to aim high but also taught to refocus if they find themselves off track while in high school or even after. Every student is an asset to the community. Another unique facet of the program is alumni return at various levels of success and often speak about being off track as well as on track. They speak of their struggles with adulthood and how students can better prepare themselves. Some students tell how they have fared since graduating and often express their regrets about how they could have learned from other mistakes if they would have listened.
Authenticity & Accountability. Alumni speak, have leadership roles and often network among themselves and with speakers, in addition, to mentoring current students at DLO events. DLO’s high Alumni engagement is a major part of the program as students appreciate that alums are concerned which also helps create an added layer of accountability in a safe and nonjudgemental atmosphere.
Alums pictured above from 2008, 2008, 2011, 2011, 2023 from left to right.