Volume 78, Issue 5
May/June President’s Message
Happy spring! Despite some chilly weather, flowers are blooming, the trees are leafing out, and the pandemic might be on the wane. Our branch has much to be thankful for this year. Despite the pandemic, we were able to meet in-person in December for our annual holiday luncheon and participate in a variety of interesting monthly programs via Zoom. Our 2021-22 fundraising drive was so successful that we were able to award a third $1000 scholarship to a high school student interested in pursuing post-secondary STEM studies. The other scholarships we were awarded to a high school student continuing post-secondary education in the Arts and to a “Lunch Bunch” high school student continuing to college from Arlington High School. Our successful fundraising drive also allowed us to continue giving a $500 award to an exemplary Arlington Public Schools teacher.
This has been another incredible year – Thank you to our Board of Directors and Arlington AAUW members for making this year so successful. We are hoping that next year our meetings will be in person again. The Board will be planning the 2022-23 calendar and programs on June 1. It would be a big help if you would share with us some of your ideas for programs and discussions by dropping us a note or better yet, join us at the June 1 planning meeting on Zoom! And don’t forget that it will soon be time to pay your dues for 2022-23.
We are planning for annual awards meeting to be in-person on May 16 at 7:00 pm at the Women’s Club of Arlington-see below for more information. We hope that as many members as possible can attend so we can thank you in-person for your contributions as we congratulate our awardees.
See you on May 16!
Terry Bratt and Karen Darner , Co-Presidents
May 16th Program Plans – Annual Arlington Awards Evening
We are so excited about our Annual Arlington Awards Evening on Monday evening, May 16, 7 pm, IN PERSON!!!, at The Woman’s Club of Arlington, 700 South Buchanan Street, Arlington, 22204.
This is our opportunity to celebrate our Arts Scholarship and Lunch Bunch Scholarship winners as well as our Arlington AAUW Educator of the Year awardee. Our Arts Scholarship is going to Anabelle Lombard, a senior at Wakefield High School who, in her teacher’s words, “eats, breathes and sleeps all things creative”! Our Educator of the Year is Christina Smith, an English Learner teacher at Yorktown who is described as “having a heart of gold”. Our third awardee, the winner of the Lunch Bunch Scholarship is Arlington Community High School Senior, Julianna Ditta.
Be sure to join us in person at our meeting on May 16th, 7 pm, Woman’s Club of Arlington to meet and learn more about our awardees and help us celebrate their excellent work!!!
Check out our full program of meetings on the Meetings page on our website.
Meg Tuccillo, VP Programs
Let’s Talk About Books
The May Let’s Talk About Books meeting will be Tuesday, May 24 , 2 pm. Our book selection is The Four Winds by Kristin Hanna.
Our June meeting will be Tuesday, June 28, 2 pm. Our book selection is Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell.
Shortly before each meeting Terry Bratt will send an invitation with the Zoom information. So, watch your email and come join the fun! Look forward to seeing you then.
See all our books for 2021-22 with a brief description of each on the Let’s Talk About Books page.
Barbara Gallagher, Chair
Spring Plans for THIS/AAUW International Coffee Conversation Group
The International Coffee Group will have its final meeting on May 11 at a luncheon at the home of Karen Russo. Food will be provided by volunteers and diplomats. This will be our last event until September.
Members of the AAUW Arlington Branch are welcome to join the group. For more information please contact Priscilla Becker. (See Branch Directory for her phone and email.)
Priscilla Becker, lead
Lunch Bunch
Susan Senn and Mary Beth Pelosky are pleased to announce the spring 2022 AAUW Lunch Bunch Awards Recipient, Arlington Community High School Senior, Julianna Ditta. In keeping with our Lunch Bunch theme for 2021-22, Profiles of a Virginia Graduate. Julianna is a model of courage, innovation, persistence and resilience. She is on track to complete her high school diploma in under two years on campus due to a four-year illness delay between 9th and 12th grade.
Julianna was selected as the Poet Laureate for Arlington Community High School, 2021-2022. She represented the Arlington Public Schools at the Poetry Out Loud competition with 9 other Virginia Regional Finalists. In addition, Julianna received an Honorable Mention in Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. 2022, as one of her poems “Missing” Poetry was selected from 1,000’s of entries.
Julianna is currently a member of the Wakefield Warriors Swim Team, admirably besting her previous times in 100-meter free style relay.
Prior to her illness, Julianna was active in 9th grade acting and dancing roles in Wakefield plays. A bright, talented artist, she designed and produced the cover art and school play posters and playbills for each play. Participated in the Arts as choreographer, chorus, choir, pianist, and bassist. Elected as chief artist to paint art in APS, Julianna’s artwork is on display walls at several Arlington schools that included human characters and mascots. Please join us in congratulating Julianna on this award!
Mary Beth Pelosky, Chair
April Stem News
The Northern Virginia Regional Science Fair was held the week of March 8, once more on Zoom. Category and Society judges spent a week reviewing pre-prepared presentations in both video and PowerPoint formats, in their particularly assigned categories. We, AAUW-Arlington judges Susan Senn, Sara Anderson and Mary Beth Pelosky reviewed every project authored by a girl, approximately 85 projects. The 2022 STEM Scholarship was awarded to HB Woodlawn junior Julia Brodsky for her Outstanding High School Girl’s Project. See a list of all our STEM award recipients here.
On April 18, seven of the girls presented their projects to the membership who attended the April Monthly meeting. Also presenting were Kathryn Boerckel, currently an Arlington sophomore and a volunteer with Rosie Riveters, and Dr. Jennifer Bartlett, PhD Astronomy, who currently holds the Kinnear Chair in Physics at the U.S. Naval Academy and is a former Arlington student who discussed her STEM Career Pathways. We were held in wondrous awe listening to these young women who wowed us with their knowledge and study of such interesting and important topics for two solid hours. Congratulations to all of them for a job well done!
Susan Stem
AAUW Calendar
Our AAUW Calendar has moved to google which means you can check it online from the website or subscribe and see it directly on your phone or laptop! Additional information about the events is available by clicking the item. Contact Teri at newsarlvaaauw@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Arlington AAUW Executive Committee 2021-22
Term began July 1, 2021
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- President: Terry Bratt (2021-2023) and Karen Darner (2021-2023) presarlvaaauw@gmail.com
- Co-First VP for Programs: Meg Tuccillo (2021-2023)
- Co-Second VPs for Membership: Michelle Milden (2021-2022) and Gail McGinn (2020-22)
- Third VP for Communications: Teri Doxsee (2021-2023) newsarlvaaauw@gmail.com
- Co-Secretaries: Candace Lilyquist (2021-2022) and Susan Senn (2021-2022)
- Treasurer: Mary Spatz (2021-22)
- Public Policy: Sara Anderson
Arlington AAUW Executive Committee 2022-23
Term begins July 1, 2022
- President: Terry Bratt (2021-2023) and Karen Darner (2021-2023) presarlvaaauw@gmail.com
- Co-First VP for Programs: Meg Tuccillo (2021-2023)
- Co-Second VPs for Membership: Candace L. Lilyquist (2022-2024)
- Third VP for Communications: Teri Doxsee (2021-2023) newsarlvaaauw@gmail.com
- Secretary: Denise M. Hassanein (2022-2024)
- Treasurer: Mary Spatz (2022-2024)
- Public Policy: Sara Anderson
Note from the Editor – July/August 2022 Newsletter
Any articles for publication should be emailed to Teri Doxsee at newsarlvaaauw@gmail.com with the SUBJECT line: Newsletter by June 15, 2022
MISSION OF AAUW
Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.