Stronger Together: Our Partnership With PWCS

From left to right: Gabby Brainoo, Nithya Kasiraman, Carmina Carreon, Hannah Lee, Japleen Gill, Noor Musa, Karla Ventura. Not pictured: Faith Afolabi, Aniyah Rush

At Virginia Women and Family Support Center (VAWFSC), our interns are more than exemplary students - they are rising leaders, storytellers, marketers, and changemakers. Through our partnership with Prince William County public schools, students across the county have been working hard all summer to support our mission of providing housing and support services for homeless mothers and their children. 

Interns at VAWFSC gain real-world experience that empowers them to explore and refine their career. Our journalism interns, Hannah Lee and Gabrielle Brainoo, come in ready to type up blogs, letters, and stories. They type knowing the impact their writing could make on other mothers, donors, and the community. Our marketing team - consisting of Noor Musa, Nithya Kasiraman, Faith Afolabi, and Aniyah Rush, have helped us connect with a broader audience through their creative, Gen Z-inspired content and powerful messaging on social media. 

These students walk away not only with professional experience but with a deeper understanding of service, resilience, and leadership. And we, in turn, are left inspired by their energy and potential.

The office administration intern, Japleen Gill, helps out with the logistics of our organization. To her, it’s not just supportive groundwork, but it’s also about creating a strong and smooth foundation so that the mothers and families in our program can experience the most support possible for their journey. Our event interns, Carmina Carreon and Karla Ventura, help plan and organize community events. Each event inspires hope, connection, and brings more awareness to the mothers in our program. All of our interns leave equipped with knowledge and skills for their futures, and we hope to encourage more students to take part in our internship program.

Our partnership with Prince William County Schools (PWCS) blossomed after our director, Frances Robin, worked with Patriot High School business teacher, Sharon Hardy, to start the Trailblazers Student Mentorship Club. Now that our nonprofit has celebrated its 9th year in business, we have developed 2 houses in Haymarket and Manassas, and an office in Gainesville. This partnership has allowed us to expand our network of supporters, donors, and volunteers, and we are thrilled to be growing more open houses to support the many mothers on our waiting list.

We are deeply grateful to PWCS for fostering this partnership that strengthens both our students and our mission. Because of that early encouragement, we’re now in a position to give back. We are proud to partner with PWCS to support students, educators, and families in any way we can. Together, we’re building stronger futures. We provide PWCS with volunteer opportunities and valuable experiences as we teach skills such as management, teamwork, and communication; skills that are essential in the workplace. As we continue to grow, we look forward to welcoming even more students into our program and helping them build strong foundations for their futures.

Whether they are here for a few hours or an entire work day, our summer interns have left their mark. They’ve grown in confidence, built meaningful connections, and contributed to changed lives for women and families in need. We’re proud of each one and excited to see how they continue breaking cycles and building brighter futures, for themselves and for our community.

We are so excited to introduce the incredible students that have made this summer unforgettable! Up next, you'll find short bios by our interns, about each other, as a fun and thoughtful way they chose to highlight each other's stories.

  Karla Ventura: Sugar, Spice, and Marketing Advice

Just like the desserts she loves to bake, Karla Ventura brings warmth, creativity, and sweetness to our team. Our standout marketing intern joined our team through our PWCS partnership when she got an email from school. Having aspirations to pursue a career as a marketing director in the future, Karla immediately wanted to join our cause. 

As a rising senior at Woodbridge Senior High School, Karla can get swamped, but she always makes time to help out the community and volunteer. Whether she’s creating social media content or volunteering, her drive and dedication shine through. She is also passionate about politics, social impact, and supporting underserved communities, saying, “I want to make a difference in the world of content creation. I love the community we built here.”

With aspirations of becoming a marketing director, Karla hopes to learn more about teamwork and collaboration as she interns here at VAWFSC. These are just a few of the skills she has learned here, ones that will set her up for success in the marketing world. As such a vital and important part of our team here at VAWFSC, she always brings fresh ideas and positive energy. We have no doubt she will go on to do incredible things in the marketing field and beyond.

Hannah Lee: From Shopping Sprees to Journalism Entries

A rising senior at Gainesville High School, Hannah Lee makes up one half of our journalism team. When she isn’t writing stellar stories, she spends her days hiking, playing the cello, and shopping. She first heard about the Virginia Women and Family Support Center (VAWFSC) from her counselor, as part of our partnership with PWCS. Seeing the opening for a journalism intern, she instantly dropped her Abercrombie and Fitch shopping bags to apply for the job. When speaking on why she wanted to become and intern, she said, “I want to make a difference in other people’s lives through my writing and gain experience in a faith driven environment."

During her time at VAWFSC, Hannah has written letters and blogs about topics such as maternal health equality, and the effects unstable housing has on maternal health. Her pieces bring awareness to maternal health and encourage others to support the moms in our program. This experience has given her a taste of what it’s like to be a journalist. She has made connections with her fellow interns and staff members, while positively influencing our audience.

Explaining what she hopes to accomplish after her internship, Hannah stated,  “I want to get a glimpse of the hard work and mindset that is needed to excel in the journalism field, while having a part in advocating for women, which is something I am passionate about." Hannah wants to study journalism and international relations in college, and this internship is helping her gain the skills she needs to succeed as she gets a step closer towards achieving her goals.

Gabby Brainoo: From Soccer Cleats to Journalism Feats

Gabby is a rising senior at Battlefield High School, where she stands out as both a hardworking student and a talented soccer player. She brings the same dedication and strong work ethic to everything she does, whether it’s on the soccer field or in her role as a journalism intern here at VAWFSC. This summer, Gabby joined our team to help tell the story of Strong Her’s mission and impact in the community.

As a journalism intern, Gabby has focused on writing thoughtful feature articles, creating intern spotlights, and helping produce content that reflects the values of Strong Her. She has spent time interviewing team members, writing stories that matter, and coming up with creative ways to share the voices and moments that define Strong Her’s Generation. Gabby has shown a great sense of responsibility, focus, and passion in her work. It's clear that the drive and teamwork she brings to the soccer field also show up in her writing and storytelling here at VAWFSC.

Gabby shared that her goals for this internship were to gain more experience in journalism, build her skills, and most importantly, make a difference in the community. “I hope to gain real-world experience and skills, widen my network, and most importantly, help as many people as I can to make a difference in our community,” she said.

Outside of school and her internship, Gabby enjoys spending time watching movies, listening to music, reading, and doing outdoor activities. She believes in staying active, learning new things, and connecting with others. With her strong work ethic and caring heart, Gabby has already made a positive impact here, and we’re excited to see what she does next.

Noor Musa: Aspiring Business Leader and Creative Digital Storyteller

Noor Musa is a determined and ambitious Woodbridge Senior High School senior in the making. Passionate about innovation and creating change, she is currently a social media marketing intern at VAWFSC where she uses her skills to brainstorm, film, and edit videos that benefit community support and the empowering story of local mothers. Drawn to the cause of the company, she saw the internship offered as part of its association with PWCS as an opportunity to utilize her skills for a purpose while still learning and growing in the online marketing sphere.

Her passion for storytelling is matched by a keen interest and commitment to learning. Whether she's creating compelling social media content or collaborating with others to create better campaigns, she brings thoughtfulness and heart to everything she does. Working on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2 to 4 PM, she is gaining hands-on skills that will help her in the future while also benefiting her community in a positive way.

Outside of her internship, she enjoys reading, baking, travelling, and taking quality time with her family. Her travels have taken her to incredibly stunning places like Egypt, India, and native country Sudan; experiences that have further enriched her love for culture and connection. In the future, she hopes to major in business or economics in college and would be thrilled to travel even more along the globe, especially to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. With her dream, global outlook, and drive to make a difference, she is destined to make a lasting impression.

Nithya Kasiraman: Volunteering Is A Girl’s Best Friend

If you were to ask anyone who knows Nithya Kasiraman, “What’s the first thing that comes to mind when her name comes up?” they would all say her love for animals, especially dogs, is greater than anything else. As a rising senior at Battlefield High School, Nithya plans to study veterinary in college. She wants to explore all her interests in college, including joining new clubs, participating in outdoor activities, and participating in hands-on animal related activities. 

As a marketing intern who creates social media content for VAWFSC, Nithya said, “I love feeling like I am making a change at VAWFSC.” She feels like through advertising the mission of the residential program and informing the public about the issues homeless women and children face, “I am improving the lives of people in need, even if it is just a little bit.” Nithya’s big heart isn’t just for animals, but also for the people she works with, their stories, and aspirations. 

When she’s not in the office, Nithya is volunteering at a local dog shelter, running, and spending time in nature with friends and family. Her compassion for service allows her to help animals and people who are in need and don’t have a voice. Since working at VAWFSC, Nithya is growing more and more as an individual by learning the importance of commitment, time management, dedication, and collaboration. She feels that these qualities will help her throughout the future. 

In addition to growing as a person, Nithya feels, “extremely fulfilled knowing I am creating a positive impact in the lives of women and children.” She feels like she is part of something bigger than just her immediate community since working at VAWFSC. Through her work at VAWFSC, Nithya lives by her favorite quote, “do things that feed your soul.” Even though dogs are technically Nithya’s best friend, volunteer work is one of her closest friends that she will support for a lifetime.

Carmina Carreon: Aspiring Engineer and Digital Design Connoisseur

Carmina Isabella Carreon is a girl of many talents. As a rising junior at Forest Park High School, she wants to explore her interests while staying true to her love of engineering. She enjoys playing soccer, spending quality time with her loved ones, and dabbling in crochet when she has time to spare. Determined to make her summer meaningful, Carmina said, “I wanted to help be a part of strengthening our community.”

Attention to detail is vital when pursuing a role in digital design. Luckily, Carmina goes above and beyond in everything she does. As a marketing intern for our Lunch & Learn events, Carmina creates flyers advertising the events with such intricacy that she wows the people she works with. She is diligent with her work, and executes it with grace. She also posts the Lunch & Learn flyers on Facebook, LinkedIn, and the Virginia Women and Family Support Center website to gain interest for the event. Starting in the ninth grade, Carmina has taken CTE classes including Design and WebTech which have taught her a plethora of important skills that help her excel as a marketing intern. She is knowledgeable about digital design and uses her talent to do something good for her community.

Outside of VAWFSC, Carmina works hard as a lifeguard at Splashdown Waterpark and soccer referee on the weekends. Her participation in a variety of activities sets her on a great path to attending her dream school: UVA. A quote that resonates with Carmina is "Keep Calm and Carreon." By switching the words “carry on” with her last name, it represents the unique touch that she adds to the world. Whether she pursues a major in engineering or computer science, she is sure to make a lasting impact on her community.

Japleen Gill: From Dreaming to Doing

Japleen Gill lives by the quote, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” -Walt Disney, and Japleen has proven she can do it all! As a junior at Forest Park High School, Japleen is not only a stellar student, but also a Prince William County student senator, the captain of her JV lacrosse team, and the executive assistant intern here at VAWFSC! 

As the executive assistant intern, Japleen creates content for our social media pages, responds to emails, schedules meetings, and manages a seemingly endless list of tasks with impressive detail and efficiency. Being such a vital part of our team, Japleen is always someone we can count on. Being an aspiring lawyer, we can already see that her confidence, energy, and creativity will set her up for success in any courtroom.

Japleen arrived at VAWFSC ready to help others by taking care of the nitty gritties. She’s gone above and beyond in that, and her impact here has made a big difference. Her mindset of dreaming big and fulfilling those dreams has brought optimism and hope to our staff as well. From the long list of movies on her watch list to the plans she has to make an impact on the world in her future, we’re sure she’ll achieve it all.

Faith Afolabi: From Track Lanes to Social Media Campaigns

Faith Afolabi is the social media intern for the Carried to Full Term Instagram account. She is a rising senior at Battlefield High School. Faith decided to apply for this internship because she is passionate about making an impact in the lives of others. Faith explained her reason for becoming a social media intern stating, “Using something that I'm familiar with, such as social media, to help others and bring awareness to their situations, allows me to express my aspiration to assist those in need, despite what their situation is or who they are.”

Faith is not only passionate about maternal health and digital media, but she also excels athletically. She runs track for her school and has qualified for districts and regional competitions! She hopes to run track at the collegiate level. In addition to running, Faith spends her free time listening to music and reading books. Some of her favorite books include the Nancy Drew series, Monday’s Not Coming, and The Alice Network. Faith is also an incredibly adventurous individual; she loves kayaking, ziplining, and swimming. She also enjoys exploring new places as well as spending time with her family and friends.

In the future, Faith hopes to go to college and major in architecture. She finds enjoyment in baking; she even hopes to own her own bakery or sandwich shop! Faith describes herself as a tenacious individual which is reflected in her motto: “faith over fear,” which has allowed her to face challenges courageously and confidently.