ADC

Mekdi Gebreselassie ADC’24 alum and Princeton class of 2028 was honored as a 2024 Milken Scholar and joined by Noah Yared (left) ADC’18 alum, 2018 Milken Scholar, 2018 Gates Scholar and 2022 Caltech grad. Thank you for honoring ADC students these past years!

Congrats to our #2024 cohort! Excellent job!

Go Natna!

Go Ehsan!

Meet Dibora Yilma. Born in Ethiopia, she emigrated to the United States with her family in 2010 and currently resides in Northern Virginia. Dibora is recognized as an incredibly involved as well as academically excellent student by her teachers and peers. As Co-President of the French Honor Society and Vice-President of the Music as well as English Honor Societies at her school, she has taken initiative to cultivate and share her passion for the humanities with those around her. She organizes and runs various enrichment opportunities, cultural activities, and fundraisers throughout the year, and has availed herself to support and mentor the members of these organizations. In addition to her impact to her school, she communicates closely with the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Virginia in order to facilitate ways that students can volunteer to serve and meet the needs of the charity. In regards to her scholastic standing, she is participating in the most rigorous program available to her as an IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma Candidate. In addition to this, she has enrolled and excelled in Dual Enrollment courses such as Multi-Variable Calculus and Linear Algebra.

Although she thoroughly enjoys all of her extracurricular endeavors, she loves chorus the most. She has been singing in Chamber Choir, the most advanced ensemble at her school, since sophomore year, and has been appointed as the Alto Section Leader for the 2023-2024 school year. In order to further her participation in music, she auditioned for and was accepted into the Virginia Choral Directors Association District X Honor Choir two years in a row. There, she worked with talented singers from all over the district to learn, perfect, and perform choral music under the direction of accredited choir clinicians.

This past summer, Dibora fostered her curiosity and fascination towards S.T.E.M as a participant at the Summer Science Program for Astrophysics at UNC Chapel Hill. She attended engaging astronomy, physics, math, and computer science lectures as well as guest lectures by esteemed professionals in the world of S.T.E.M. Additionally, she worked in a team of three to operate a research grade telescope to take images of a near-earth asteroid, 2002 MQ3. In collaboration with her teammates, she reduced, plate-solved, and collected data from these images in order to calculate the orbital path of the asteroid. The latter was done via an Orbital Determination python code that she wrote over the duration of the program.

In her free time, Dibora enjoys reading, curating Spotify playlists, writing songs, and spending time with family. She has a younger brother with whom she likes to watch classic movies with. Her parents have raised her with Christian values such as compassion and commitment, and she strives to emulate them in her day to day life.

The amazing Abby is one of ADC’s out-of-state students from Georgia.

Meet Ach’sah Gubena. Currently attending school in Silver Spring, Maryland, Ach’sah is extremely active within her school and larger community. Currently serving as the school-wide Vice President, after serving as a Senior Executive the year before, Ach’sah has been heavily involved in her school’s SGA both on the school and county-wide level. Ach’sah is also the founder and President of STEP (Students to End Poverty), an anti-poverty initiative aiming to help the disadvantaged in her area. With a membership of 60+ students, Ach’sah has led the planning of a Housing Symposium with legislators from around the state as well as the drafting and passing of a legislation that provides over $14 million to provide free breakfast to all low-income elementary and secondary schools in the state of Maryland. In school, she also holds membership in the Science, Art, ASL, and National Honor Societies.
Outside of school, Ach’sah’s commitment to fostering change remains unyielding. Serving as President of Youth Creating Change (YCC), she empowers young activists to establish social justice initiatives. Her work includes running comprehensive training programs, both in-person and virtual, empowering youth across the nation to become advocates for positive transformation.
Though having a strong interest in social justice, Ach’sah’s passions don’t end there. With an extensive background in science-related endeavors, Ach’sah has competed in several regional and state-level science competitions. With her involvement in HOSA- Future Health Professionals, she competed in the International Conference in Dallas, Texas this summer after placing first in a state-wide competition. Her involvement in HOSA extends to her role as Vice President within her school’s chapter. With regard to research, she has also interned with the FDA’s Oncology Center researching allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy implementations and analyzing clinical trials. She currently interns with the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Johns Hopkins Medical School and aspires to pursue a career in Medicine.

Ruth is off to Penn!

Today we mourn the loss of an incredible soul. Sehine Gizaw was an ADC volunteer for more than six years. She has been a dear friend and an avid supporter of many of our students and alumni. She will be missed dearly.

Academic year for our 2024 Cohort coming to a close!

Meet Ethan Ristu, a young man very involved in his school community. In all 4 years of high school, Ethan has run for his school’s Track and Field team as well as played viola in its Chamber Orchestra. He has also served as President of his school’s Black Student Association—helping create an affinity space in a predominantly white school—and as CoPresident of his International Relations Club—where he's won awards in national Model UN competitions. Throughout the years, he’s also served on student government, various student-faculty committees, and as an Editor for the school publication The Little Hoya.
In his sophomore year of high school, Ethan formed his school’s Refugee Action Team as a recognized chapter under the Jesuit Refugee Service. Through this club, Ethan has led the team to advocate for refugee issues on Capitol Hill, and he has met with the offices of Senators, Representatives, and even with the President himself. They volunteer regularly with Holy Trinity Church, which accompanies about 20 migrant families, with a multitude of events, including: providing translation/support for Nicaraguan parolees, painting apartments, serving reception for the families, and more. Beyond this, the team has networked extensively and has sought avenues for collaboration with other groups dedicated to addressing the needs of refugees such as the University Alliance for Refugees and Migrants and the Jesuit Schools Network.
Ethan also seeks to give back to the Ethiopian community that has raised him throughout his life. Since 10th grade, he has been a program leader for Mahibere Kidusan’s Virtual Bible Study Classes—helping facilitate English bible study classes for about 50 weekly Ethiopian Orthodox students nationwide. Ethan serves as a tutor leader for EEAE (Ethiopian Eritrean Alliance for Education) where he tutors and manages other tutors of children from Ethiopian/Eritrean families. And lastly, in his junior year he had launched a fundraiser at his school and managed to raise enough money to award a gifted, but financially needy, student in Addis Ababa a four year education at St. Joseph’s School (including tuition, transportation, books, uniform, and food).
This past summer, Ethan had completed an internship under a practicing attorney in Rockville where he conducted legal research, worked on active consumer protection cases, and met with clients, judges, and other lawyers. He hopes to enroll in law school one day, but in college may study International Relations—stemming from his Model UN experience, Mandarin skills, and work as CoPresident of his school’s Mandarin Club and President of it’s National Chinese Honor Society— or Public Policy—because of his fascination with political science and desire to address America’s inequity crisis.

ADC students met with Senator Tim Kaine.

Meet Aaya Abugabal. Born in Fairfax, Virginia to two Sudanese immigrants, Aaya now lives with her parents and three siblings. As the middle child in a family of six, Aaya has played a crucial role in raising her youngest brother, demonstrating unwavering support to her hardworking parents. This experience has not only shaped her character but instilled in her a deep sense of responsibility.

Beyond academics, Aaya is heavily involved in photography and has even been recognized with a Silver Key and an honorable mention in the Scholastics Art and Writing Award. Furthermore, Aaya serves as the vice president of the Muslim Student Association, president of the Best Buddies Chapter, and aide to the Athletic Trainers at Chantilly High School. She is a member of the Global Leaders of Fairfax County where she works with groups of students all across Fairfax County to make measurable impacts on the 17 SDG goals. As a tutor deputy in the Equality Through Education Virginia Chapter, Aaya works to recruit and create teams of tutors who help students in local low income neighborhoods and schools. Juggling various roles, Aaya also contributes to her community as a sales associate at a retail store and a Teacher's Assistant at her local KinderCare. Her commitment to academic excellence is evident through her memberships in the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society.

Aaya's heart for service extends beyond her immediate community. She has dedicated her time to the KinderCare prior to her working there, her local mosque, and the She Believes in Me program. However, Aaya's aspirations extend far beyond the classroom. Dreaming of a career in Biomedical Engineering, she envisions herself on the frontlines of healthcare, actively contributing to advancements in medical technology. Her long-term vision includes making a tangible impact on a global scale by working in third-world countries, where her skills can contribute to the enhancement of medical systems.

Meet Medhin Zewdie, an Ethiopian-American born in Washington D.C, now resides with her mother and brother in Silver Spring, Maryland. She is an exceptionally well-rounded and diligent student who pushes herself in a variety of ways. She is enrolled in several AP and Honors Classes. She is also the VP of Membership for her school's ambassadors, in which she coordinates joint activities with other clubs and school organizations and assists her fellow ambassadors. As the VP of Membership, she helps plan the annual orientation for the future students and delegates the responsibilities with other Ambassadors. Medhin was a part of the Leadership Institute which provided leadership training, and she was awarded the Leadership Training Level Three certificate. With this newfound expertise Medhin decided to start up a mental health support group at her school, with the help of a few of her peers she was able to get it up and running. ​​The mental health support group planned ice cream socials during SAT week and advocated for study halls. The group also runs a social media page that posts positive affirmations, advertises events, and is also used as a source of communication between the student body and the club.
Other than that Medhin participates in numerous clubs and extracurricular activities, including the National Honors Society, Science National Honors Society, English National Honors Society Key Club (Social Media Manager), and Black Student Union. She participates in her school's dance team and has performed at the Montgomery County Showcase and many other recitals. She is dedicated to supporting her community and other people, which is why she participated in a week-long Business internship with leadership Initiatives at Georgetown University. As an intern, Medhin collaborated with fellow interns and worked with a Nigerian business owner who wanted to expand her small business. During the internship, she had to put together a presentation requesting a grant. In the presentation, there was a breakdown of how the grant money would be spent and it went into detail about how it would help the Nigerian business owner grow. This experience motivated her to join their year-long International Business program because she wanted to extend her impact on Nigerian business growth, especially after seeing the impact she was able to make in such a short amount of time.
Medhin is employed by Meaningful Futures as an IISS Technician (Intensive Individual Support Services Technician), in which She works as a supervisor and a support system for her older brother who has Autism. She helps him with a variety of tasks like bed-making, and room organization, and teaches him vital social skills. Empowering him is her main focus as well as helping him become more independent. During the summer she also works with the Meaningful Futures summer camp dedicated to kids with special needs. She enjoys being able to work with her brother as well as being able to help his peers in community engagement, social skills, and structure.
Medhin is still unsure of what she would like to study, as of right now she knows that she will be attending a four-year university. She is an open-minded person and has given her career goals a lot of thought. She enjoys helping others as well as using her creative energy to make something impactful. Medhin has many passions and interests, she plans to dig deeper and learn more about herself and the world around her so she is able to make a difference and choose the path best suited for her.

Meet Mahlet Daniel. Currently living in Maryland, with her mom and brother, Mahlet is actively involved, being an ambassador and previously, assistant director of education for Wegene Youth Club. She has served as secretary of Best Buddies and in the National Honor Society, Music Honors Society, Sherwood Ambassadors, Improv Club, and Leo Club. Mahlet is also very interested in theatre, being in the Thespian Honor Society and Sherwood Theatre. She has done theatre classes throughout high school and has done six shows. She also plans to continue her love of theatre by being an intern at the Olney Theatre during her senior year and hopes theatre and music will always be a part of her life. She loves music and theatre but is also interested in STEM, mainly environmental science and psychology.

Meet Lidya Bekele. Immigrating to the United States at the age of seven, Lidya has big dreams to make use of the chance she has been given by her parents. Aside from taking academically rigorous courses, Lidya is involved in a range of extracurricular activities. In her junior year, due to the lack of computer science related clubs at her school, a subject in which she intends to pursue a career in, she founded a coding club to compete with other schools across the country. In addition, she is the vice-president of the Black Student Union and Horn of Africa, member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) club, UNICEF club, and the National Honor Society, as well as serving as an ambassador at her school. During her summers she has volunteered for over 300 hours as a counselor at an Arlington County Summer Camp and Smithsonian Summer Camp, as well as a reading buddy at ASPIRE! After School Learning. Over the summer, she also works as a counselor at Boolean Girl where she teaches young kids about physical computing and how to code. She has won a Women in STEM Award from the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as the African American Recognition Award from College Board.

Meet Yoseph Zerihun. Born in Maryland, he lives with his two parents and his younger sisters. Yoseph is a member and leader of various clubs and activities within his school, and he also serves his community outside of his school.
Yoseph serves as a deacon at Hamere Berhan Kidus Yohannes Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Rockville, MD. At church, Yoseph leads his Sunday School program and preaches to the entire congregation on yearly holidays. Yoseph also has worked with the church Sunday School’s own organization called Tewelede Tewahedo to help give back to children in Ethiopia. The organization has raised funds, donated school supplies to Ethiopian schools, and donated uniforms and clothing to Ethiopian school children.
Extracurricularly, Yoseph is involved in various activities. He is vice-president of his school’s National Honor Society and French Honor Society. Within these capacities, he has successfully started tutoring programs, created a school garden, and enhanced a hall of flags with the school. Yoseph also has served as captain of his school’s Debate Team since his Sophomore year and Mock Trial team since his Junior year. In both of these activities, he serves as a leader who coaches new members to achieve success within the club while also doing so himself. With extensive research, preparation, and skill in argument, Yoseph was able to achieve the first-ever playoff birth in school history for his school’s Mock Trial team.
Yoseph was also a finalist in the Montgomery County Public Schools’ Student Member of the Board of Education election. He surpassed a field of 12 candidates to be named one of the two finalists. Afterward, he ran a two-month-long campaign in which he visited all middle & high schools across the county, held virtual policy town halls, and met with many student & community leaders. His campaign focused on achieving equity within the county, addressing the opioid epidemic within the county and helping students gain the resources they needed with schools.
In his free time, Yoseph loves to play golf and baseball, while also watching a variety of other sports. He is captain of his school’s golf team and has competed in the Montgomery County Public Schools district golf tournament for his school for two years.
Yoseph aspires to have a career in law and politics and though he is uncertain about the specifics of his future career, he seeks to create a profound impact on the world around him by lifting up his voice and advocating for his community.

Meet Magdeline Afework. Currently living with her two parents and older sister, her academic achievements shine as she excels in various prestigious roles within her school community. Notably, she’s an active member of the Model UN chapter and holds leadership positions in the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and as the founder and president of her school’s English Honor Society chapter.In addition to her academic commitments, Magdeline is a dedicated athlete, participating in both varsity tennis and volleyball teams. Her leadership extends beyond sports as she takes on roles in student government, contributing her organizational skills and creativity to social events and student engagement initiatives.
Looking forward to her college journey, Magdeline plans to major in public health with a minor in environmental studies, reflecting her passion for community well-being and environmental advocacy. She actively contributes to Ecomoco, a student-led organization focused on climate advocacy and leadership development. She also utilizes her artistic side as she serves as graphic design director for the Climate Health Education Initiative, a student-led non profit organization centered around educating younger generations in order to promote environmentally friendly habits. During a summer internship at the oncology center of the FDA, Magdeline gained valuable insights into modern drug development and cancer research. She collaborated with peers on a presentation highlighting socioeconomic disparities in male breast cancer, earning recognition and the opportunity to present in clinical trials.Outside of her academic pursuits, Magdeline enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering at the local animal shelter and spending quality time with loved ones.
Magdeline’s commitment to academic excellence, leadership, and service underscores her potential to make a positive impact as she continues her journey of growth and learning.

Meet Yasmin Mohammed, an Ethiopian-American born in Maryland. Raised in Ethiopia for most of her life, she now lives with her mother and four other siblings. Yasmin is a Principal’s Honor roll student and a very active participant within her school’s community. Yasmin is a leader in her school’s French Honor Society, founder and president of her school’s Crochet Club, a member of National Honor Society, the Scholars Leadership Program, and FBLA. She plays an active role in her clubs planning and organizing various events such as multicultural night and club collabs, and competes at the regional and state levels. As part of the Class of 2024 Class Council her junior year, she started the Coffee House tradition (a fundraiser event she and others introduced to the school to help raise funds for prom) and was involved in planning spirit week, pep rallies, and collaborating with students and staff to foster inclusiveness, belonging, and school spirit amongst the student body. After school, she enjoys spending her time tutoring middle schoolers in math and english, crocheting blankets for her family and friends, and helping out with food drives and other service projects.
Outside of school, Yasmin continues to play an active role in her community by coaching girls basketball, ages 9-12, at her local mosque with the hopes of encouraging young Muslim girls to pursue sports. Last summer she volunteered for CareEpilepsy, a nonprofit organization in Ethiopia dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with epilepsy. Yasmin has raised money to support patients and their families, and has taken part in epilepsy research to educate individuals about epilepsy, addressing the stigmas surrounding it. Additionally, as part of the social media team, she created a social media plan to assist the organization in publishing various content catered to different age groups. Yasmin also enjoys volunteering at her local preschools and community events, in which she spends her time doing arts and crafts with kids or works as part of the green team, where she collaborates with other students to implement waste-reducing solutions.
From a young age, Yasmin has wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. Her
experience interning at a hospital Ethiopia and Howard County General Hospital have further solidified her passions of becoming a pediatric doctor in the future. She is currently part of the Certified Medical Assisting Program at the Howard County Applications and Research Laboratory and hopes to have her medical assistant certification by next year. She is First Aid certified and continues exploring the medical field through her internship and rigorous science courses offered at her school. This summer, Yasmin interned at Amin General Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she spent her time interacting with patients and shadowing doctors in the pediatric, neonatal, and physical therapy wards. In the future, she hopes to go back to Ethiopia and continue to assist at different medical facilities. Apart from medicine, Yasmin is also interested in business. She started her first small business in her first year of high school, selling crocheted amigurumi plushies.

Our students featured on the Washington Post today