ADC, 3636 16th Street NW, AG#23, Washington D.C., DC (2026)

08/28/2026

Yesterday, we welcomed the newest members of the ADC family at our New Student Orientation at The Wharf!
A special thank you to Washington Gas for hosting us in their penthouse with breathtaking views of our nation’s capital. What a way to kick off the journey!

Our 11th cohort is officially underway!

Here’s to new connections, new perspectives, and an incredible year ahead. Welcome to ADC Cohort 11! 🇺🇸

07/06/2026

🎉 OFF TO NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY! 🎉
Meet Suad Abdella, a scholar, researcher, and servant leader whose passion for medicine, advocacy, and community service has earned her admission to Northeastern University.
Suad has dedicated her high school years to improving the lives of others through leadership and service. As Coordinator of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association's Gender Equity & Sexual Misconduct Task Force, she led year-long community initiatives, including organizing care baskets for sexual assault survivors, raising funds for Interfaith Shelter, and coordinating period product drives that donated hundreds of essential items to students in need. She also served as Secretary for the Class of 2026, Treasurer and later Vice President of Key Club, and an Executive Board Member of the Black Student Union, helping organize school events, service projects, and initiatives that foster inclusion and community.
Suad's passion for medicine extends well beyond the classroom. As a ThinkNeuro Research Intern and Co-Associate, she conducted research on neurodegenerative diseases and treatment-resistant depression, co-authoring research posters focused on behavioral neuropharmacology. She also conducts research with Professor Michy Kelly at the University of Maryland, contributing image analysis for an upcoming scientific publication. Her scientific interests were further strengthened through the Stevens Summer Research Program, where she studied medicinal chemistry and synthesized aspirin while presenting collaborative research findings.
Committed to serving others, Suad volunteers at her local hospital, supporting healthcare professionals and patients, and serves as a teaching assistant at her mosque, mentoring children, assisting teachers, and organizing educational programs. She also manages her school's JV soccer team, demonstrating leadership both on and off the field.
Inspired by the power of community, Suad hopes to pursue a career as a physician-scientist, advancing medical research that addresses healthcare disparities and improves outcomes for underserved populations around the world.

07/06/2026

ADC APPLICATION CLOSING TONIGHT! OFF TO OFF TO UMICH. Meet Noelle Shimeles. An Ethiopian-American born in Maryland, raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and now residing in Waldorf, Maryland, Noelle is a highly motivated student who holds herself to high standards both in and out of the classroom. A Principal’s honor roll student and member of the Science National Honor Society, she has challenged herself with a rigorous course load that includes AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, AP Literature, AP French, AP Art, AP Art History and more, alongside dual enrollment Anatomy and Physiology. She maintains a 4.4 weighted GPA and ranks in the top 5% of her class.
For Noelle, her passion for medicine is deeply personal. Having witnessed several family members fight cancer, she knows both the suffering that patients endure and the helplessness their loved ones feel, as half the battle is mental. These experiences have fueled her determination to become an oncologist, someone who can alleviate that pain for both patients and families. To strengthen her knowledge, she has participated in pre-college programs at Brown University and Johns Hopkins University, where she gained valuable exposure to cancer biology, biomedical science, and hands-on research experience.
Noelle’s leadership and curiosity extend well beyond the classroom. She is the captain of her high school’s track and field high jump team, where she competes at the state level while mentoring and supporting teammates, embodying the values of teamwork and perseverance. As President of the French Club, she has built strong relationships with faculty while organizing cultural and educational activities, and as President of Model United Nations, she discovered a love for research and developed her public speaking skills despite initially being reserved.
Service is also central to Noelle’s identity. She has volunteered at Sibley Memorial Hospital, assisting staff and patients alike. This experience has given her a deeper appreciation for community, empathy, and care.

07/05/2026

Our 2026 Cohort graduated with flying colors! We are so proud of them! We are now getting ready to welcome our 11th cohort on our 11th year of this amazing journey!

07/05/2026

ADC APPLICATION CLOSING TONIGHT! 🎉 OFF TO NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY! 🎉Meet Emanuel Yemane, a scholar from Silver Spring, Maryland, whose exceptional achievements in academics, engineering, and community service have earned him admission to Northeastern University.

A dedicated and ambitious student, Emanuel maintained an outstanding 4.7 GPA while completing one of the most rigorous academic programs available, including an extraordinary 16 AP courses and 5 Magnet courses. His senior year coursework included Multivariable Calculus, AP Physics C, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Microeconomics, earning him recognition as an AP Scholar and membership in his school's Math, Science, and National Honor Societies.

Driven by a passion for engineering and artificial intelligence, Emanuel pursued advanced learning opportunities beyond the classroom, completing coursework through Harvard's CS50 and Stanford's Artificial Intelligence program while taking specialized magnet courses in Artificial Intelligence, Analysis of Algorithms, Computer Graphics, and more.

Emanuel has also demonstrated exceptional leadership and service. As President of the Intro to Coding Club, he helped teach 30–40 underserved students programming languages such as Java and Python. He later co-founded the Applications of Engineering Club, where he serves as Secretary and leads projects focused on building assistive and recreational technologies for children, including a custom foosball table for patients at Children's National Hospital.

His commitment to service extends through his work with Teens with HeartSongs, where he helped raise over $3,500 locally and contributed to broader fundraising efforts exceeding $145,000. Looking ahead, Emanuel is set to serve as a Team Leader for the organization and as Co-President of his school's National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter, where he is leading efforts to establish the school's first VEX Robotics team.

With a passion for innovation, leadership, and service, Emanuel hopes to leverage engineering and artificial intelligence to create meaningful impact in communities around the world.

Congratulations, Emanuel! We cannot wait to see the incredible impact you will make at Northeastern and beyond! 🚀💻🤖

07/03/2026

OFF TO THE HONORS COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND! Meet Leul Wondwosen, an Ethiopian-American scholar, innovator, first responder, and community leader whose extraordinary accomplishments have earned him admission to the University of Maryland Honors College.

A natural leader and collaborator, Leul has dedicated his high school career to service, innovation, and creating opportunities for others. As Chairperson of the Takoma Park Youth Council, he successfully advocated for increased pedestrian safety measures near local schools and organized community efforts to help immigrant families better understand housing policies that could impact their neighborhoods. He also serves his community as an EMT with the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department and as a Firefighter I Trainee, providing critical care during some of the most challenging moments in people's lives.

Leul's passion for engineering and scientific discovery is equally remarkable. As Co-Founder and Technical Lead of Blue Meridian Technologies, he developed a patent-pending Multi-Dimensional Acoustic Communications System using machine learning, designed to improve underwater communications for robotics, environmental monitoring, and marine research. He built and tested multiple prototypes, presented his work to Northrop Grumman engineers, and is currently publishing scientific research through the Washington Academy of Sciences.

Beyond his scientific pursuits, Leul has demonstrated exceptional leadership as President of Space Club, Co-President of Solid Ground Bible Club, President and Project Lead of Rotaract Club, and Mechanics Subteam Leader for FIRST Robotics Team 449. He is also a licensed private pilot, reflecting his lifelong curiosity and commitment to pushing boundaries.

Leul's dedication to service began long before high school—from helping an elderly neighbor maintain his home to mentoring younger students through his church and community organizations. Inspired by the legacy of service exemplified by Sehine Gizaw, Leul hopes to combine engineering, medicine, and public service to develop technologies that improve emergency response systems and expand access to care for underserved communities around the world.

Congratulations, Leul! We cannot wait to see the incredible impact you will make at the University of Maryland Honors College and beyond. 🚀🚑🔬

06/30/2026

Off to the University of Richmond! Meet Leena Adam. A Sudanese-American from Springfield, Virginia. A highly motivated student who establishes for herself high expectations, Leena is a member of her school’s Math, English, and National Honor Societies, where she serves as a tutor atop her STEM-focused course load consisting of a variety of rigorous classes such as Physics, Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, among many others.
For Leena, her intense passion for global health, medicine, and social justice is evident in her plethora of extracurricular activities. This summer, as she volunteered with Nas Al Sudan, a nonprofit organization dedicated towards providing updates on the humanitarian crisis occurring due to the on-going war in Sudan, she decided to visit and assist the efforts directly. During this trip, Leena worked at Kassala Clinic, an underfunded clinic in her hometown in Kassala, Sudan, where she registered patients, assisted the shift doctors, took vitals, etc. After Leena’s recent visit to Sudan, she began understanding how extreme the health discrepancies were, affecting vulnerable populations in Africa with health concerns such as immunization, child health, drugs, control of Malaria, and HIV/AIDS.
Leena is an active leader in her community and shows a commitment to service. She is a volunteer for Islamic Relief USA and MakeSpace, nonprofit religious organizations. Leena has also been an Arabic tutor for young children since her freshman year of high school, where she teaches her students perseverance, collaboration, confidence in public speaking, and cultural understanding.
In school, Leena serves as the President of the Muslim Student Association, Quill and Scroll Honor Society Co-Founder, Secretary of Black Student Union, and a Student Ambassador, a role where she mentors and welcomes new students at her high school. In her free time, Leena enjoys traveling, reading, painting, playing sudoku, and meeting new people.

06/29/2026

Off to the BS/MD Program at the University of Rochester. Meet Alula. He’s an Ethiopian-American from Burke, Virginia. Alula is a driven scholar, athlete, and community leader dedicated to service and medicine. With a 4.425 weighted and a near perfect unweighted GPA, he has excelled in a rigorous STEM curriculum while balancing leadership, athletics, and community engagement.
Alula’s passion for healthcare is evident through his extensive clinical experiences. He completed the selective S2M2 program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences twice, where he shadowed military physicians across many different specialties. He has also spent over 100 hours as a medical assistant while shadowing multiple doctors at Georgetown MedStar Hospital, observing patient care in intensive care units and operating rooms.
A natural leader, Alula founded and serves as president of the Fitsum Bahru Memorial Youth Chapter, raising money annually to provide educational opportunities for underserved Ethiopian students. At his school, he leads as president of Doctors of Tomorrow, expanding membership by 40% and organizing physician speaker talks. He’s also serving as a four-year Class Officer and SGA member, helping raise over $10,000 and planning large-scale school events, including two homecomings with 2,500+ attendees. On top of that, he is also the Vice President of the National Honor Society at his school.
Beyond academics and leadership, Alula is deeply committed to service. During the school year, he tutors students every Saturday at his local library, supporting many children from kindergarten through 9th grade. He also coaches youth soccer, sharing his love and passion for the game with the next generation of athletes. Alula did a 9 month program where he helped raise money for a small laundry business owner in Bauchi, Nigeria. During this time, he created multiple banners & flyers, created a microgrant, and ended up raising more than 1000+ dollars.
Alula is a greatly accomplished athlete. He has played travel soccer for 10 years, serving as the captain and has won multiple club state titles and a regional title. His team has been ranked the #1 team in Virginia for his age for some period of time throughout his career. In addition, Alula has studied piano for around a decade, performing in many recitals, where music provides a creative outlet and connection to his imagination.
With all these activities, Alula balances his timing simultaneously maintaining exceptional grades. Alula has taken 11 APs including AP Chemistry, Calculus BC, Physics, Statistics, and more. By handling all these things throughout his life, Alula has learned priceless time-management skills and discipline. He strives to keep doing more ensuring he can maximize his impact within a given environment.

06/26/2026

OFF TO NORTHEASTERN. Abigia Samuel is an Ethiopian-American student from Bethesda, Maryland. A highly motivated student with leadership and service that highlights her passion for law, advocacy, and equity. With a 4.73 WGPA and rigorous course loads focused on law, history and international relations with classes like AP World History, AP Human Geography, AP Comparative Government, AP Government and Politics and AP U.S History. She consistently pursued high standards for herself alongside meaningful action for her community.
At the heart of Abigia’s advocacy is her leadership through UNICEF. As a founding member she has raised money and awareness on human rights issues around the world. This is where she also co-authored a Child Impact Statement on the challenges faced by first-generation immigrant students in post-secondary planning in her county. The project began with selection by UNICEF USA, then a personal observation: while many peers could turn to their parents for guidance on the college process, students from immigrant families often face it alone. As the daughter of immigrant parents, Abigia understood the struggle first hand. Along with her peers, she launched a detailed investigation on how schools were or were not meeting the needs of this population.They collected original survey data across the county as well as personal stories, identifying widespread miscommunication between school resources and immigrant families. One especially troubling case revealed a student was about to begin the college application process without a permanent resident who was told by a counselor that their process would be “the exact same” as that of U.S citizens. This misinformation, uncovered late in the student’s junior year, created unnecessary stress and highlighted systemic failures in guidance for immigrant applicants.
Abigia and her peers synthesized their findings into a proposal that paired research with actionable and potential solutions. Their most notable recommendation was the creation of peer-led “College Chats”. These sessions would invite alumni and current first-generational students to share their lived experiences with younger peers navigating the same challenges. The initiative would emphasize relatability, and accuracy, providing students a safe place to learn about financial aid, application timelines, and residency requirements. For Abigia the Child Impact Statement became more than academic exercise. It was a vehicle of advocacy rooted in empathy and the belief that systemic change often begins with student voice. She and her team went on to present their findings to UNICEF USA along with 4-5 other high schools and Universities where their presentations will be used for future cohorts.
Abigia’s growth has been seen in her leadership in Mock Trial, where she served as Captain her senior year. Through countless hours of preparation, she has mastered courtroom skills such as direct and cross-examination, constructing persuasive arguments, and adapting quickly under pressure. Competing as both lawyer and witness, she not only refined her individual performance but also guided her teammates to achieve their best. With her team’s hard work they became one of the top four in the state of Maryland, an achievement that reflects both
her dedication and ability to work collaboratively. Abigia has learned the discipline of legal reasoning, public speaking and professionalism.
Abigia’s dedication to legal studies extends beyond the classroom and competitions. As a legal intern, she has conducted research, drafted and edited legal documents, observed client meetings and assisted with discovery. These experiences introduced her to the precision and responsibility required in the legal field. In addition, she participated in a mentorship program with women attorneys in her county’s bar association, gaining exposure to ethics and career pathways in law.
Her academic ambitions also extend into higher-level study through dual enrollment, where she has taken college courses revolving around humanities. This experience immersed her in the principles of global justice, and complexities of international law and real world application advocacy.
Service has been a consistent thread in Abigia’s life. She has completed over 230 volunteer hours, supporting her community through different roles. As a tutor, she helped immigrant students strengthen their mathematical skills. She has volunteered as an election judge, ensuring fair and secure voting process while safeguarding democratic participation. At her church, she is a member of the operations team, managing logistics and creating a welcoming environment for services.
Looking forward, Abigia aspires to pursue a career in law and international relations where she can combine her research advocacy, and leadership to uplift marginalized voices. Rooted in her cultural identity and personal experiences, Abigia is determined to use her voice and her education to create lasting change.
Abigia’s leadership is equally evident across her school community. She is the Vice President of EESA as well as Vice President of Programming and founding member of her school’s Pre Law Club, helping establish a space for students interested in law. Abigia is an active member of several academic honor societies: National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, and Psi Alpha. Abigia also enjoys cooking, reading and learning new languages.

06/26/2026

Sehine Gizaw Scholarship Recipient Spotlight: Leul Wondwosen
ADC is honored to recognize Leul Wondwosen as one of only two recipients of the 2026 Sehine Gizaw Scholarship, receiving a $4,000 award in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to leadership, innovation, and selfless service.

Established in memory of Sehine Gizaw, Leul's remarkable record of public service, civic leadership, scientific innovation, and community advocacy makes him an outstanding recipient.

Leul has never viewed service as an obligation—it is the foundation of who he is.

As a freshman, he quietly began caring for an elderly neighbor recovering from serious health challenges. Every weekend, he mowed lawns, raked leaves, completed household chores, and spent hours keeping Mr. Brown company. What began as a simple act of kindness evolved into a meaningful friendship that transformed Leul's understanding of service. Through countless conversations on a front porch, he learned that the greatest acts of compassion are often the quiet, consistent ones that restore dignity and remind people they are never alone.

Today, that same compassion drives Leul's work as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department and a Firefighter I Trainee with the College Park Volunteer Fire Department. While many students spend evenings studying or relaxing, Leul spends his nights responding to life-threatening emergencies. He has comforted frightened patients during medical crises, stabilized victims following traumatic accidents, supported grieving families during unimaginable moments, and delivered lifesaving care when every second mattered. After overnight ambulance shifts that end at dawn, he often heads directly to school—demonstrating an extraordinary level of discipline, resilience, and commitment to serving others.

Beyond emergency medicine, Leul has emerged as one of the most impactful youth leaders in his community.

As Chairperson of the Takoma Park Youth Council, he has successfully advocated for policy changes that improve the safety and well-being of local families. His leadership helped secure new crossing guards at elementary schools after identifying dangerous conditions for children walking to school. When proposed zoning reforms threatened to displace long-standing immigrant families, Leul took action. He translated dense planning documents into accessible language, organized public meetings, educated residents on the implications of the proposal, and empowered community members to make their voices heard throughout the city's planning process. His leadership ensured that families who might otherwise have been excluded from civic conversations were equipped to advocate for their future.

Leul's impact extends far beyond community organizing.

A gifted engineer and inventor, he is the Co-Founder and Technical Lead of Blue Meridian Technologies, President of the Space Club, President of the Rotaract Club, Mechanics Subteam Leader for FIRST Robotics Team 449, Co-President of the Solid Ground Bible Club, and an accomplished Private Pilot.

Driven by a passion for solving real-world problems, Leul developed a groundbreaking machine learning-based underwater communication system designed to dramatically improve acoustic communication in challenging marine environments. His research resulted in a provisional U.S. patent, earned him the opportunity to present his work before Northrop Grumman engineers, and positioned his technology to advance marine robotics, environmental monitoring, underwater exploration, and emergency response systems. Few high school students achieve this level of scientific innovation while simultaneously maintaining such a profound commitment to community service.

Yet despite these remarkable accomplishments, Leul remains deeply committed to giving back. Through his church's youth ministry, he mentors younger students within the African diaspora community, helping cultivate confidence, leadership, and purpose. Looking ahead, he plans to return to ADC as a mentor, investing in future scholars just as others invested in him. His long-term vision is to combine engineering, public service, and humanitarian leadership to develop technologies that save lives, strengthen emergency response systems, and expand access to underserved communities around the world.

Leul's story is a powerful reminder that true leadership is measured not by titles or accolades, but by a lifelong commitment to using one's gifts in service of others. His character, compassion, intellectual curiosity, and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of those around him embody the very values the Sehine Gizaw Scholarship was created to honor.

Congratulations, Leul. We are incredibly proud to celebrate your achievements and look forward to witnessing the extraordinary impact you will continue to make—in your community, your profession, and the world.

💙 Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

ADC

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