Learning in the modular

MOD SQUAD

Students and teachers adjust to the new modular building

JOSH BASS SPORTS & COPY EDITOR | ARNAV GUPTA COPY EDITOR

It’s January 2020: you turn a corner, meeting a mob of students flooding the hallway. so I feel very comfortable out there.” Students no longer have to traverse a maze “Our original plan was to put world languages out there as a group, but we had to Immediately engulfed, you follow the crowd, hoping to break free in time to make it to class. At this point, it’s a daily routine. What else would you expect from a school at 127% capacity?

McLean students have learned to push and shove between class periods, but overcrowding quickly became an afterthought as the pandemic began its global rampage.

With the majority of McLean students stuck at home, officials were able to take the first step toward alleviating overcrowding by installing a modular building in place of cramped outdoor trailers.

“Construction started about the time we were put out of school due to COVID and finished in the middle of February,” Director of Student Activities Greg Miller said.

Almost like a miniature version of the school building, the mod has several hallways and classrooms, which leaves space for amenities such as bathrooms and teacher workrooms.

“The mod is so much nicer than the trailers,” English teacher Elise Emmons said. “We have bathrooms, our own workroom, and I park outside right outside of my room, of trailers searching for their classrooms, as the mod serves as a centralized class hub. “The location of the mod is perfect [in proximity] to the school; the breezeway is right there as well as most of the main doors,” junior Bella DeMarco said. “The only [downside] would be having to go outside to enter the mod, but with nice weather it’s not really a problem.” The mod provides a comfortable learning space for students. “[The mod] is more secluded, less crowded and cleaner than the building,” DeMarco said. “The Wi-Fi and temperature are also much more consistent than the trailers.” McLean’s addition isn’t particularly new, however; the mod was transported from Carson Middle School during the quarantine. The mod was originally planned to only house world language classes, but McLean’s administration decided to take advantage of the space and place other classes there this year as well. As the school year approached, administrators calculated the amount of students who could safely fit in each class, relocating teachers to accommodate pandemic restrictions. make adjustments due to social distancing,” Assistant Principal Jeffrey Barham said. “Eventually, we hope to get world languages in the mod to keep them together.” Safety policies in the mod are no different from those in the building. “COVID restrictions are the same but a little bit easier to follow,” DeMarco said. “With less people in the mod I am not as worried about feeling overcrowded or having to constantly think about social distancing.” The spacious classrooms in the mod give a variety of classes the room they need to succeed. “I agree with the plan to have the mod be here semi-permanently,” said Entrepreneurship teacher Debbie Fargo, who teaches inside the modular. “It is a nicer structure with classrooms that can be set up for collaborative projects and discussions.” The mod seems to be a success so far, with teachers and students alike expressing their happiness about its convenience and various amenities. “I like the mod better than [the trailers],” Fargo said. “It feels like your own space and is away from some of the crowds that will be back next year.”

RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD — Serving as an extension to the school, the modular is a short walk from the main building. The construction process started in March 2020 and finished roughly a year later in February 2021. JUST LIKE HOME — The inside of the new mod is similar to the interior of the actual school. The new building provides much more space for both students and teachers, including bathrooms and workrooms.

FACES OF RESILIENCE

For people around the world, 2020 was not an easy year, and Highlanders were no exception. In this in-depth story, we sought out the voices of the McLean community and captured the stories of students and teachers who experienced unique circumstances and overcame unforeseen challenges over the past year.

Senior Diana Juarez Castaneda raised two children during the pandemic, balancing virtual learning, childcare and work at the same time. Junior J.T. Fulkerson worked for FCPS as a student tech, and he was able to be among the first to receive his vaccinations. English teacher Michael Enos lost his mother-in-law to COVID-19. New Geosystems teacher Dylan Persinger spent much of his first year of teaching behind a laptop screen. Members of McLean Youth Harmony started an instrument drive to help music students. Sophomore Christy Khalil is still adjusting to American culture after a bombing in her hometown of Beirut, Lebanon, prompted her family to move to the U.S. last August.

After a year of isolation and uncertainty about the future, these Highlanders’ stories of resilience and courage show us that we are not alone. Together, we can all move forward.

RAISING TWO CHILDREN during THE PANDEMIC

BY MARINA QU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SWEET SMILES

Senior Diana Juarez Castaneda sits in her children’s crib, holding them in her lap. Juarez Castaneda’s daughter, Dara, is almost 2, while her son, Jacob, is 3 years old. (Photo

courtesy of Diana Juarez Castaneda)

Until she turns her camera on, most of senior Diana Juarez Castaneda’s classmates don’t realize that when she logs into Blackboard Collaborate, she is often holding her two small children in her lap. Her young children require so much attention that sometimes she needs to feed or bathe them during class.

At the start of the pandemic, her son was turning 2 and her daughter was only 9 months old.

“There was no one in the house to help me; it was only me, the children and my classes,” Juarez Castaneda said. “I had to make breakfast, bathe them, feed them and put them to sleep while attending classes.”

Juarez Castaneda moved to the U.S. from El Salvador in September 2016. When she became pregnant in 2017, her pregnancy was difficult because she had no other support besides her mother, her sister and her nephew. She reached out to her counselor, Greg Olcott, who connected her with resources for medical checkups and pregnancy supplies.

She was alone in the hospital when she gave birth to her son, Jacob, in April 2018.

“When I had the first child, I was bothered that it was just me alone,” Juarez Castaneda said. “My mom was not with me, nor was the baby’s father.”

She became pregnant again about six months after giving birth to Jacob, and she gave birth to her daughter, Dara, in June 2019.

Taking care of her children while balancing schoolwork was not an easy task, but it became an even bigger challenge after the pandemic hit the U.S. She worried about her children’s health and safety.

“My sister worked as a nurse with patients that had COVID. This scared me a lot because I thought my kids might get sick,” Juarez Castaneda said. “I was cleaning every day.”

When the 2020-21 school year began, Juarez Castaneda went to the public library every day to attend virtual classes, but when her children’s babysitter was infected with COVID-19 in January 2021, the responsibilities fell solely on her.

“During the time I was alone, if I turned away for just two seconds, one of the children would be biting the other or pulling the other’s hair,” Juarez Castaneda said. “There were days that I would cry at night because I was so frustrated. I would say, ‘I’m not going to attend classes anymore.’”

Even though Juarez Castaneda often had thoughts of quitting school, she persisted, knowing the importance of education. Her ESOL teacher, Zamira Seyfulla, said she has witnessed Juarez Castaneda’s resilience over the past year.

“She would always come to class. Sometimes she would show her daughter sitting on her lap,” Seyfulla said. “She knows it’s important for her to be in class. With [her] kids and [schoolwork], she’s doing her best.”

Supporting two children created an extra financial burden on her family during COVID-19, and Juarez Castaneda’s concerns about money were amplified when she noticed her daughter was starting to outgrow her clothes. Although her mother helped her financially, Juarez Castaneda wanted to contribute as well. In early February 2021, she began working at CAVA.

“Since my daughter was so young, I had been there for her entire life. The first day I began working, it was very difficult. When the kids saw me changing, my son told me to stay inside with him,” Juarez Castaneda said. “When I came home from work I was frustrated because it would be very late but I still had to bathe them and feed them.”

Despite the hardships she faced, Juarez Castaneda maintained an optimistic attitude.

“She’s always cheery and smiley—her [glass is] three-quarters full all the time,” Olcott said. “I don’t know the kind of things she went through in her previous life before coming here, but I can only imagine. Keeping all that in mind, just her vibe, energy and positive aura lent itself to staying positive and being healthy.”

Juarez Castaneda started teaching her children English during the quarantine, hoping they will lead happy lives and be successful in the future. After graduating this year, she plans on attending Northern Virginia Community College and becoming a nurse or a doctor’s assistant.

“My dream is that when my daughter is 5, I will have that career. My dream is to be able to support my family and pay for everything without having to think about it,” Juarez Castaneda said. “It is difficult to work, go to school and take care of my kids, but my dream is still alive.”

When junior J.T. Fulkerson decided to work for Fairfax County Public Schools, he never foresaw one benefit: getting vaccinated early.

Fulkerson works as a student tech, a job that entails being in charge of the lighting and sound for events in the McLean auditorium. Due to his employment, Fulkerson was eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination alongside other FCPS employees.

Fulkerson received his first dose on Feb. 4 and his second on Feb. 26. Although Fulkerson was only 16 years old at the time, he was able to get it early in the vaccination process, months before most students and even before most adults in the county.

“I filled out a Google Form, and I got an email a few days later saying I was able to go to Inova in Fairfax. I waited in line and I walked right in. There was a very small line,” Fulkerson said.

Though getting the first dose was a relatively easy process, he ran into challenges when scheduling the appointment for the second dose.

“The appointment system wouldn’t let me make a second appointment if I was under 18, so that was a hassle. We were on the phone for seven hours with Inova and the Virginia Department of Health, and they finally found a way to schedule the appointment,” Fulkerson said.

Fairfax County began vaccinating group 1b, essential workers and people with underlying medical conditions, on Jan. 11, over three months before opening vaccine appointments to everyone above the age of 16 on April 18. While many students with underlying medical conditions were able to start getting vaccinated before this date, Fulkerson, who has both asthma and celiac disease, was able to use this opportunity to receive the vaccine significantly earlier than his counterparts.

Fulkerson was the first person in his family to get immunized, and he felt it was important to get the vaccine while it was offered to him.

“I was surprised because I was 16 at the time, so I didn’t think I should be able to get it. But I thought it would be dumb if I turned it down because who knows when my next opportunity would be,” Fulkerson said. “I didn’t think that I would be able to get it, and once I showed up and got my first one, I was like, ‘Well, now they have to give me my second one.’”

Though Fulkerson has been fully vaccinated since the end of February, most of his family and friends were not, so the vaccine served as an additional preventative measure and provided him with a sense of security. While Fulkerson has continued with online learning, he returns to the building for TheatreMcLean performances and events in the auditorium.

“I’ve kind of treated [the pandemic normally] because most of my friends haven’t been vaccinated, so I can still transmit the disease, but I won’t show symptoms,” Fulkerson said. “I still have to be careful around friends, so I haven’t really changed anything. Once more people get vaccinated it’ll be different, but as of now, nothing has changed.”

Now that vaccinations in Virginia have become more available to the general public, Fulkerson encourages everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they can. Based on his own experience with the vaccination process, Fulkerson feels it is important that those who are eligible take the necessary steps to protect themselves and the community as a whole.

“Anyone who gets the opportunity should get it,” Fulkerson said. “The more people vaccinated, the more beneficial it will be.”

Getting the vaccine early

BY HERAN ESSAYAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DOUBLE DOSED

Junior J.T. Fulkerson poses with his COVID-19 vaccination record card. He received the first dose on Feb. 4 and the second dose on Feb. 26. (Photo courtesy of

J.T. Fulkerson)

English teacher Michael Enos’s mother-in-law, Michelle Christine Davis, was put on a ventilator on Nov. 2, 2020. He and his wife, Rachel Enos, never got to speak to her again.

Davis tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2020 while living in a nursing home. Davis suffered from underlying health conditions that put her at higher risk for serious illness.

“As soon as I found that out I was really, really worried because I had been thinking from the beginning of this whole thing, ‘If my mom gets this, she’s not going to survive it,’” said Rachel Enos, a behavior analyst at Falls Church City Public Schools. “I’d been dreading this happening the whole time.”

When they last spoke to each other, Davis had so much trouble breathing that her words were almost indiscernible, but her daughter remembers their last conversation vividly.

“She was like, ‘Oh, you’re my favorite person to talk to,’” Rachel Enos said. “It was so sweet and innocent-sounding that that’s what I try to think about rather than thinking about how labored her breathing was the very last time I talked to her.”

After being sick for three weeks, Davis died due to acute respiratory failure on Nov. 14, 2020. She was 71 years old.

“We did a funeral/memorial service through Zoom, which is a strange way to do it,” Michael Enos said.

Knowing that Davis passed away just a few months before the arrival of the vaccine heightened the emotional burden of the family’s loss.

“It was really heartbreaking for me that she was in [a nursing home] where she was supposed to be protected, but she still got sick,” Rachel Enos said, “especially because all the people who interacted with her were healthcare professionals.”

Losing a loved one made the pandemic more real for Michael and Rachel Enos. Unlike most people who have watched the number of COVID-related deaths rise from a distance, they feel closer to those in similar situations.

“Once it becomes your family then it creates a different reality and a little more fear along the way,” Michael Enos said. “It makes me feel like I identify with the rest of humanity because people all over the world are losing people that they love.”

Michael Enos said that McLean High School and the English department have been supportive in this difficult time.

“They sent us flowers, notes and meals so we wouldn’t have to worry about cooking on some nights,” Michael Enos said. “That kind of support has been really uplifting and almost humbling in a way to know that you have this network of support. If we didn’t have [that support from family, work and friends], it would have been much harder, but right now we’re both in a better place.”

Rachel Enos reminds people to treasure the moments they spend with loved ones because another chance to see each other is never guaranteed. These memories will help carry the couple forward.

“It’s not all doom and gloom,” Michael Enos said. “There’s been sadness along the way, but it’s something that we’ve all had to go through and do the best we can. And we’re getting there. We’re getting there.”

BY MARINA QU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ALEENA GUL NEWS EDITOR

FOND MEMORIES

Rachel Enos, her mother Michelle Christine Davis and her brother Jeremy take a photo together decades ago. Davis died on Nov. 14, 2020, due to acute respiratory failure caused by COVID-19.

FAMILY BONDING TIME

Michael and Rachel Enos play with their son, Oliver, who will turn 3 this summer. Oliver hasn’t been able to see his grandparents and other relatives since the pandemic

began. (Photos courtesy of Michael Enos)

Going into the 2020-21 school year, distance learning presented lots of logistical challenges to the faculty at McLean. Transferring curriculum and materials from the physical classroom to a virtual space proved difficult for even the most experienced teachers, making the work of new, young teachers more challenging than ever. Dylan Persinger is one such teacher whose first year on the job was far from the norm.

Originally from southwest Virginia, Persinger attended George Mason University, where he discovered his passion for teaching. After getting both his undergrad and master’s degrees from Mason through an accelerated program, Persinger found himself drawn to McLean High School during his job search. Although he was excited to teach Geosystems, Persinger’s first year at McLean played out far differently than most first-year teachers would hope.

“Before this, having never done distance learning or thought much about distance learning, coming into the school fully virtual and doing that for almost 75% of the year was definitely a challenge,” Persinger said. “It took a lot of planning before school even started to adjust my curriculum and what I know I have to do and switch it over to virtual—that took a lot of planning in itself.”

Adding to the difficulties of teaching, Persinger has been mostly deprived of the opportunity to meet his colleagues and students and start forming relationships with them during his first year.

“Of course, getting to know other teachers and students, all that was a huge challenge too because when you don’t see them in person every day it’s hard to get to know everyone and put faces with names,” Persinger said.

Despite these unfortunate circumstances, Persinger has been making the most of his time at McLean and said he enjoys the atmosphere of the school.

“What’s really stood out to me is the incredible student body, the student experience here. The way the students are, the mentality of the students, it’s way different and way more positive than other high schools I’ve visited,” Persinger said. “Everyone’s been really great about trying new things and taking this adventure together just to see what we can get out of it.”

Fortunately, there was a light at the end of the tunnel for Persinger’s first year of teaching. McLean students returned to the building (in limited capacity) on March 2 through hybrid learning, a system blending in-person and virtual instruction. Although still far from the typical school year, hybrid learning has at least restored some of the human elements that make teaching enjoyable.

“It’s definitely a huge difference from virtual learning, and it has allowed for a more personal dynamic where now somebody can raise their hand and I can better answer. I can see what they’re doing a lot better, and it allows for better and quicker feedback,” Persinger said. “It’s also really nice to have that human interaction where you don’t have to just look at a computer screen anymore; now you have that good mix—on the computer some but you can also teach like normal to an extent.”

Although a huge step up from an entirely virtual classroom, with just 41% of McLean’s students opting to return to in-person learning, a lack of students has created interesting social dynamics in the classroom. Persinger finds himself in front of some classes with up to 11 students while other periods he has just a few students in the physical classroom.

“It’s a bit of a weird adjustment going from a lot to a little just between classes,” Persinger said. “There have been times where it’s just me and one other student in the classroom talking, and it makes an interesting situation. It’s not bad—it’s just very different from what you’re used to.”

With FCPS’s recent announcement that schools will return to five-day in-person instruction this fall, Persinger is excited to experience everything McLean has to offer in a normal school year.

“I’m looking forward to having everyone back in the building safely and being able to actually get to make those connections at the beginning of next year…and getting to see people’s faces and getting to know them more than just a picture on the computer,” Persinger said. “It’s going to be really cool to see what the community is like and what the school spirit is like and how it all comes together at McLean.”

starting out as a new teacher in a virtual environment

BY JACK SHIELDS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CONCURRENT LEARNING

Geosystems teacher Dylan Persinger manages his digital classroom during Highlander Time. He tries to balance his presence in both the physical and virtual classrooms every

day. (Photo by Katie Romhilt)

supporting the community through music

BY JUNGYOON KEUM FACT CHECKER

DREAMS DONATED

McLean Youth Harmony cofounders Alicia Kang and Julia Tan pose with orchestra teachers Alicia McMahan and Starlet Smith as they donate musical instruments to Rose Hill Elementary School. The organization started an instrument drive last November, delivering 15 instruments to elementary schools.

(Photo courtesy of McLean Youth Harmony)

Shortly before Christmas, presents wrapped in glittering ribbons were delivered to the orchestra students of Rose Hill Elementary School. Three violins, a viola and a cello came to decorate a side of the empty white wall of the orchestra room under a placard that reads “Youth Harmony.”

Created in 2019 by Alicia Kang, Cynthia Ma and Julia Tan, who are all juniors this year, McLean Youth Harmony initially started as a club for students to host concerts in local senior centers.

“It was really heartwarming to see everyone singing to the same song [during one of our concerts],” said Ma, recounting one her best memories with McLean Youth Harmony before the pandemic struck.

The spread of coronavirus brought these concerts to a halt, and the gentle music that filled the senior centers was replaced with anxiety and fear.

“I just assumed that McLean Youth Harmony would not be able to continue [its projects],” McLean Youth Harmony sponsor and orchestra conductor Starlet Smith said. “When COVID-19 hit and McLean and other schools were shutting down, I knew that holding concerts this year would be impossible.”

Countless clubs struggled to operate once virtual learning began. The pandemic put a stop to nearly all extracurricular activities, but Kang noticed that some classes and clubs were hit harder than others.

“When coronavirus hit, we realized that the majority of the Fine Arts Department, the classes that deal with nonverbal communication, were struggling to operate,” Kang said. “We also knew that a lot of people were hit financially by the pandemic, so we thought that donating instruments would be very helpful.”

Music joined the ranks of the many things people lost during the pandemic. While some lost their loved ones or their jobs, others lost their passions and were forced to give up the small joys of life. By working to return music to the daily lives of people in the community, McLean Youth Harmony challenged the impacts of the coronavirus.

“[When we started our club] we wanted to show that music could empower the community and bring it together,” Tan said. “[During] the coronavirus epidemic, that’s really hard for people, so we started sending out concert videos and…started instrument donations, as we really wanted to give opportunities to students who don’t have access to instruments but [want to] cultivate a passion for music.”

The members of McLean Youth Harmony didn’t expect to get many donations for their first instrument drive since their organization hadn’t established much credibility.

“Because people spend a lot of emotion and time on instruments, [we knew that] letting an instrument go would be a very hard choice,” Kang said.

To their surprise, several people reached out to them and happily donated their instruments to be used by prospective musicians who do not have their own instruments.

“When I went to pick up the instruments, I told people that I was very thankful that they were able to donate these amazing instruments,” Kang said. “But instead, they were thanking me for the opportunity to share and give their instruments to people who really needed them. And that wasn’t just one nice person, but a general response I got.”

McLean Youth Harmony donated 15 instruments including flutes and various string instruments to three elementary schools. Some of the instruments were added to the school’s supply of instruments and some were lent out to individual students who were willing but not able to play.

Although the pandemic forced McLean Youth Harmony to pause their previous projects, the club has been able to use these abrupt changes as an opportunity for improvement. Now, with a significant rise in participation and influence, Youth Harmony is an official nonprofit organization in the DMV area.

“Whether you are performing music or just listening to music, music is something that people can enjoy,” Smith said. “McLean Youth Harmony comes to spread music to a larger audience, along with the happiness it creates.”

Sophomore Christy Khalil was watching TV with her sister in her home in Beirut, Lebanon, when a thunderous blast shattered the glass in their windows.

The city was torn into pieces by an explosion on Aug. 4, 2020, causing at least 210 deaths and leaving 300,000 people homeless. Khalil’s home was 15 minutes away from the incident.

“My sister was crying, my mom was outside and we didn’t know what to do,” Khalil said. “We were alone. On that day I lost everything beautiful in my life: my house, my friends, my grandma and my school.”

Khalil could not accept the fact that her loved ones had passed away due to the tragic incident, especially her grandmother, with whom she had a close relationship. After the explosion, Khalil’s family decided to move to the U.S. out of fear for their safety despite the challenges the move would bring.

“It’s hard to adapt to a new life that you don’t know,” Khalil said. “You have to be alone each time. You don’t know the language very well, and when you’ve lost everybody and everything, it’s so hard [living in] a different country with nobody beside me, especially my grandma, who had always been beside me.”

When Khalil started attending McLean at the beginning of the school year, classes were fully virtual. Her school in Lebanon didn’t use much technology, so she struggled with attending classes and completing assignments on a laptop. In addition to adjusting to the new environment, Khalil encountered the language barrier and had difficulties making new friends.

“I am always depressed, and I can’t talk to anybody [because] I always stay in my home,” Khalil said. “When I need help or support, nobody can teach me or help me in the house, so I depend on myself to do my assignments.”

To cope with the various obstacles, Khalil reached out to her counselor, Jenna Jablonski, for help.

“I am talking to my counselor [every week],” Khalil said. “She has been beside me. I can’t handle all the problems together here because I have many challenges in Lebanon that really hurt me.”

Zamira Seyfulla, Khalil’s ESOL teacher, has already witnessed her growth in the past few months. Seyfulla described her as a proactive and responsible student, setting an example in class and helping her family outside of school.

“With all the challenges and losses she had to go through, you can see that helped her mature,” Seyfulla said. “She knows what she wants in life. She’s aware of what it takes to succeed, and she is never challenged by the difficulties.”

Back in Lebanon, Khalil’s grandmother taught her that “learning is the key to life” and encouraged her to pursue an education. Khalil cherishes this advice and strives to make the best of her new opportunities. She wants to become a teacher.

“I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I started a new life in a new country, and a lot of things are evolving in my life,” Khalil said. “You should do the same. You should move on and see what life holds for you and for your future. I passed through a lot, but I am here, chasing after my dream just like my grandmother taught me.”

starting over after the lebanon bombing

BY MARINA QU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ALEENA GUL NEWS EDITOR

REMEMBERING THE PAST

Sophomore Christy Khalil wears a fez, a hat traditionally worn in Lebanon, while looking at a photo of her family that was taken before they came to the U.S. Khalil and her family moved to America after losing her grandmother in the bombing in Beirut in August 2020. (Environmental

portrait by Marina Qu)