AHS principal DeRose honored for educational leadership

Leadership Fairfax presented Northern Virginia Leadership Awards to five people Feb. 29, including Annandale High School Principal Shawn DeRose.

The awards are given annually to talented community leaders and organizations who have made a significant impact on Northern Virginia through volunteerism and community engagement. 

DeRose received the Educational Leadership Award, which recognizes a teacher or administrator who has demonstrated a long-term and consistent pattern of excellent leadership, exemplifies a passion for educating, embraces innovation, and provides inspirational leadership to students, parents, and the community as a whole.

According to Leadership Fairfax, DeRose “has collaborated with students, staff, families and community members to foster a diverse and inclusive community at Annandale High School.”

“In addition to my staff, our students are absolutely amazing – the backgrounds they have, what they bring to our school, the stories that they can tell, and the way that they come together,” DeRose said at the awards ceremony in Reston.

“What you read in the papers or on your phones every day about what this world is with conflict, that all washes away the minute you step foot into Annandale High School,” DeRose said.

The other award-winners include the following:

Nonprofit Organizational Leadership – SPARC (Specially Adapted Resource Clubs), led by Executive Director Debi Alexander. SPARC provides day programs with support services and educational opportunities to adults with disabilities.

Corporate Leadership – Tarika Sethi, the founder of and an instructor at Evolution Martial Arts, focuses on empowering women and creating a family-friendly inclusive atmosphere.

Nonprofit Individual Leadership – Taralyn Kohler, former CEO of the CORE Foundation, has led more than 50 charitable projects, including Covid relief and youth empowerment.

Trustee Leadership – Saly Fayez, director of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division, offers empathy to victims, provides them with access to resources, and advocates for policy changes on behalf of victims.