Gabriella Henriquez lives by the belief that “no problem is too big to tackle if we do it together,” a lesson instilled by her Papi and shaped by her family’s experiences during the Salvadoran Civil War. Grounded in this legacy of resilience and collective action, Gaby has brought together local students and nonprofits to build an inclusive school community by expanding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities for underserved students
As a Fall Church High School freshmen, Gaby co-founded the Hispanic Youth Initiative (HYI), a student-led umbrella organization that has enlisted volunteers from local high schools across Fairfax County to promote STEM education for underrepresented communities. She and her co-founder spent a year planning and designing programs to bring STEM education and opportunities to local elementary schools. In Gaby’s sophomore year, HYI launched a winter and spring 8-week STEM club at Mason Crest Elementary School, a Title I school (that is, it is in a high-poverty area and receives federal funding to close achievement gaps), using affordable, household materials (cereal boxes, popsicle sticks, newspapers, etc.) to teach engineering and science concepts. As Gaby explains, the program enables students to “take learning home,” making STEM exploration both accessible and hands-on.
Gaby’s commitment extends to direct advocacy and mentorship. Under her leadership, HYI sponsored a SOL Science tutoring program for fifth grade students at Westlawn Elementary School and relaunched the school’s Science Olympiad program. Importantly, Gaby served as a translator for an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) student competing in the Science Olympiad so he would be seen and heard: an opportunity that, Gaby noted, English learners do not always have. The student placed second in the competition. Gaby’s act of advocacy is a powerful example of promoting equality and inclusion among peers.
HYI has also collaborated with technology nonprofits and school partner Braddock Elementary’s XSTREAM Summer Program to sponsor a vibrant computer science/STEAM Fair. More than 150 participants enjoyed the opportunity to explore various exhibits and learn about a wide range of student pathways in STEM-related fields.
As her college and career specialist, Terri Markwart, observes, “Gaby actively calls upon local students and larger non-profits to collaborate, demonstrating that communal effort is the path to achieving equity across Fairfax County.”