Kyra and I met on the first day of Mrs. McGowan’s third grade class at Belvedere Elementary School. She approached me and asked if I liked horses. I didn’t have much to say about horses, but upon realizing that she was a soccer player, I struck up a conversation about our shared favorite sport. Within a few short weeks, we were attached at the hip. As it turned out, Kyra lived in my neighborhood. We began playing for the same soccer team, attending the same summer camps, and even sharing babysitters over the summer.

Kyra and I would go on to attend Glasgow Middle School together, and then Justice High School. At Justice, we served as delegates on the FCPS Student Advisory Council—an experience we each still cherish as a highlight of our wonderful FCPS careers. We played volleyball together, went to music festivals together, and even adopted puppies at the same time. When our class’ senior superlatives were published in the yearbook, no one was surprised to see that we had been voted “Best Best Friends”.

Today, Kyra lives in Madrid and works as a secondary school teacher. She also holds a Global Public Health degree from the University of Virginia. I am finishing up my studies at Georgetown in preparation to become a professor of clinical psychology. She and I reflect often on what an excellent example our FCPS teachers set for us as we embark on our own careers in education. We are still best friends to this day.