Prince William School Librarian Association is happy to announce that the recipient of the Elizabeth W. Bowen Memorial Scholarship is Patriot High School senior Amen Dagnachew! Patriot teacher Randi Warren reports “that Amen is one of those rare students who leaves a lasting impact on you as a teacher.” According to Warren, Amen is naturally friendly, warm, mature, and able to lead with empathy.

     Amen found her passion through her love for and support of her autistic brother. Amen became interested in learning about the brain’s plasticity after observing her brother’s therapy sessions. She researched to self-educate herself and discovered a passion for neuroscience. “I want to treat patients with neurological conditions, conduct research on healthcare disparities, and give back to the community that deeply resonates with my story.”

Amen has set a long-term goal to establish a non-profit neurological care center for financially disadvantaged people in her country of origin, Ethiopia. Her educational goals will help her pursue her “mission to give back and honor the loved ones who got me to where I am today.” PWSLA believes Amen represents the values and spirit of our friend, Elizabeth W. Bowen, and is pleased to award this scholarship to help Amen further her educational journey.

 Prince William School Librarian Association is happy to announce that the recipient of the Elizabeth W. Bowen Memorial Scholarship is Potomac High School senior, Tabatha Tarman! According to Librarian Cari Hammel, Tabatha is hardworking, caring, thoughtful, and a “spot of sunshine.”  

   Tabatha has been fascinated by history ever since she read My Heart Is on the Ground by Ann Rinaldi at age 11. Tabatha reports that writing has “captured her attention and heart.” She has a love for storytelling, which has led her to volunteer for the public library summer reading program. As a teacher aide for public summer school, she worked with seventh graders and was pleasantly surprised that those students were touched by World War I poetry. 

   Tabatha realizes stories can disappear quickly. She enjoys writing nonfiction “stories revolving around interesting historical events and topics.” She wants to be a storyteller who shares under-told stories. Tabatha states “My ideal job would be to show people the truth in history and leave them speechless.” 

   Tabatha’s energy and achievement makes our school librarian hearts full of joy. We are so pleased to award this scholarship in honor of our friend, Elizabeth W. Bowen.

Carly is a senior at Hylton High School who agrees with Hippocrates, “Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.” 

At first unsure of her future career path, Carly was inspired to study medicine after she watched Grey’s Anatomy. “It (showed me) that I could be a doctor like Christina Yang or Margaret Pierce. I could be a woman of color who is well-respected and excels in my field. If a TV show could accomplish it, I wondered what I could do by being a real person who worked, as a doctor to diversify healthcare.”

To help her prepare, Carly used her love for helping people and volunteered at her local hospital.  She fell in love with the chaotic and fast-paced environment. “My favorite memory was seeing a team of healthcare workers urgently, and with efficient transport equipment to take care of a baby who had been born in the emergency room. I had helped the pregnant woman get there, and I played a…small (part) in her labor.” 

Carly’s educational journey consists of finding her role in life and deepened her passion and understanding of the medical field. She challenged herself by taking and excelling in AP Biology where she is forced to think critically and learn how concepts fit into real-world situations. 

 Carly is viewed as a highly valued and active member of her community and school. 

Besides her volunteer work at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, she is an Assistant Volleyball Coach for the Hylton Boys and Girls Club, a member of the National Honor Society, French Honor Society, Academic Team and is Treasurer of the Black Student Union. 

In the fall, Carly will attend James Madison University and major in Bio-Tech where she can pursue her dream to join the medical field. “My journey is not over yet; I have many more steps to take, but I cannot wait to take them. 

Sandra is a senior at Osbourn Park High School who hopes to one day establish several non-profit organizations worldwide that improve the quality of life for impoverished children. With the

help of others, Sandra’s plan is to raise awareness by holding fundraisers and donation drives to support people experiencing poverty. Helping people in need is especially meaningful to Sandra because her family understands firsthand what it means to not have everything one needs. “[My parents] told me several stories about how fortunate my siblings and I are, and how we should take advantage of the numerous opportunities available in this country.” One way Sandra has followed through with their advice is by giving back to the community during the holidays. “Serving food to homeless people in my community...allowed me to appreciate what I and many American children have.”

Additionally, Sandra raises awareness about childhood poverty through United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), where she serves as treasurer. Through her church, Sandra has organized a food drive and collaborated with Starlight Foundation in Ghana to create opportunities for many orphans and homeless children so they can have a better future and life. Under Sandra’s leadership, over 500 pairs of shoes, clothing, bags of rice, canned food, and bottled water were donated. Sandra’s passion for helping others is not something she takes for granted. She lives by the motto: Make no excuse, work hard, and help the less fortunate. 

While attending George Mason University, Sandra plans to improve her leadership and motivational skills to help with establishing non-profit organizations. “I hope to contribute my part in ensuring no child goes hungry by creating a systematic program where children... will have access to food and other necessities.” Sandra believes that by opening a pathway for greater opportunities it will change children’s lives not only for the better, but forever.

Jordan is a senior at Brentsville District High School, who understands that "video games extend far beyond a typical source of simple entertainment." He believes "it’s the stories they tell, the lessons they teach, and the emotions they provoke that add to the ethereal thrill."  However, Jordan finds it "disheartening, that the video game industry doesn’t necessarily reflect the diversity of its community."  Jordan feels he can make a difference. "There is a calling for greater diversity in the minds behind these games to not only increase the quality of stories being told but to expand on new methods and ideas to forge ahead in the game design industry. I am ready to answer this call."

Jordan has taken many steps to prepare himself to study video game production and design such as participating in the Capital One Bank Coders program, where (he) learned the basics of coding and application development. He also attended "The Carnegie Mellon University’s National High School Game Academy (where he) explore(d) game development roles such as artwork and concept design." Jordan also "produced an original video game where (his) team won the Pavan Paravasthu Award for Gameplay Implementation and the Chris Klug Award for Most Original Concept." Additionally, Jordan participated in "The George Mason University Game and Technology Academy (which) offered courses in Game Design, 2D and 3D Art and Animation, and Java programming."

In addition to all listed above, Jordan supported his community "by joining (his) church’s COVID-19-ready response team (and helped) set up practices that allowed for a safe return back into the sanctuary. Practices included distributing PPE, weekly health forms, temperature checks, (and) other tasks that support(ed) CDC health guidelines."

In the fall, Jordan plans to attend The University of Utah and pursue a Bachelor of Science in Games, He plans to pursue a Master of Entertainment Arts and Engineering degree. Jordan hopes to one day "secure a position as a Game Design Producer for Nintendo (where he will be) responsible for assembling and managing a team of engineers, designers, and artists." (He will also oversee) "scheduling, tracking tasks, and ensuring (a) project('s) progression."

Nemya is a senior at Osbourn High School who hopes to become the first psychologist in her family. As a staunch advocate for herself and her own mental health,  Nemya is determined to become a person that youth of color can look to for guidance. Aware of the cultural stigma associated with mental health, Nemya "began to do research on how prominent mental illnesses are with Black and Asian communities, while also noting that it is widely shamed upon to receive help in both cultures. This drove (her) to make future decisions in higher education."  

While Nemya did not list a specific school at the time of her application, she did express a desire to "immerse (her)self in a diverse student body to widen (her) research on societal cultural barriers and understand how to live with them as a biracial woman. (She) want(s) to use (her) newfound experiences to help minorities find healing in a country where they are systemically, mentally, and culturally oppressed."

In her spare time, Nemya plays guitar and is one of the few students to letter in it. She also supports others in guitar class who need it. Additionally, she volunteers her time to "organize the classroom, set the stage, change strings, and she helps out at various community events when needed." As a true testament to her belief in supporting another's well-being, "Nemya personally checked in on (her guitar teacher) to provide encouragement and to lift (her) spirits." 

Nemya is a member the Rotary Interact Club and volunteers at the local elementary schools, raising money for education, and (participating in) water reservoir clean ups. A large portion of Nemya’s volunteer hours are spent tutoring others in English. At the Eagle Writing Center, (she) has logged over 200 hours helping others to become better writers. As a "member of the VA COVID-19 Task Force, she collaborates with other high school students to provide feedback on how school should operate when (returning to) in person instruction. In this group, she pushed the importance of students’ mental and physical health during the pandemic." 

 According to her guitar teacher, "Nemya is a natural and a true advocate for those who need someone to be their voice."

Samantha, an Osbourn High School senior, wants to do "good in the lives of others through the creation of positive relationships."  After her time working as a volunteer at the Matthew Center Camp Adventure, a day camp for children with disabilities, Samantha developed an interest in Psychology.  "I want to for work with a wide variety of individuals who experience difficulties in their day-to-day lives because of circumstances they are unable to control."

Samantha is a member of the Student Council Association, Key Club, Interact Club, and Youth Salute.  In her 4 years of high school, she's spent 1000 hours of her time volunteering.  Most noted are her hours as a tutor in the school's Eagle Writing Center.  Trisha Vamosi, is the Director of the writing center and wrote Samantha's letter of recommendation.  "Although soft spoken at times...she has demonstrated that others trust her to listen attentively and respond in a kind and compassionate manner. I am proud of the effort and diligence she brings to the AP classroom."

Samantha plans to earn a B.S. in Psychology and later a PhD in Occupational Therapies. The PWSLA Elizabeth W. Bowen Memorial Scholarship is proud to help Ms. Samantha Donaire follow her passion for helping others in need.