Kiwanis scholarship helps VCU-bound student reach for academic success

Kiwanis Club of South Arlington members on June 18 honored Elizabet Guzman Fallas, who will use scholarship funds from the club to attend Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond.

Guzman Fallas, her mother and Arlington Community High School principal Dr. Jeannette Allen attended the club meeting and participated in a roundtable discussion with Kiwanis members.

Guzman Fallas was a member of the high school’s Key Club, sponsored by Kiwanis, and received the club’s $1,500 annual scholarship presented to a Key Club member.

“I wanted to be part of something, to contribute,” she said of joining the Key Club.

A specialized program within the county school system, Arlington Community High School was the right fit for her academic needs, Guzman Fallas said.

“It was a smaller school, and they helped me along,” she said.

Fallas heads to college with some credits already under her belt, having taken dual-enrollment courses in high school.

She aims to become a dentist, and chose VCU after visiting the campus.

“I like the people there. It’s very diverse,” she said.

Guzman Fallas has two younger sisters, one headed to middle school in the fall and the other in elementary school.

“You are blazing the trail for your sisters,” Kiwanis treasurer Wilfred Braveboy said.

The first year of college can be a challenge. Mila Lynne Floro, a member of the Kiwanis of South Arlington board of directors and the club’s adviser to the Key Club, said Kiwanis members were ready to support their scholarship recipient.

Floro, a former educator, counseled Guzman Fallas that she should also avail herself of the support services at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“Don’t be shy [in seeking support],” Floro said. “The college will have resources. They want you to succeed.”

Principal Allen served as the first sponsor of the Key Club at the school in 2009-10, when it was known as Arlington Mill High School and she was assistant principal.

The Key Club thrived through 2020, but the arrival of the pandemic caused cessation of in-person classes. Even when they resumed, the school system’s primary focus was to make up for lost time.

“Covid kind of put a damper on bringing [school organizations] back,” Allen said, but efforts of Greg Jones and current club sponsor Dr. Tiffany Mitchell-Patterson ultimately resulted in the club’s rechartering through Kiwanis International.

A total of 21 students participated in the Key Club during the 2025-26 school year. “We’re really excited about it,” Allen said of the club’s reinvigoration.

About half the Key Club members graduated this spring, and efforts to recruit members will start when classes resume in August.

Key Club members provide service within the school, and learn how important it is to be involved in the community, Allen said.

(Allen herself was a member of the Key Club when in high school, first in New York City and then in Virginia.)

Having a $1,500 scholarship from the South Arlington club available to students is another incentive for them to become active in the school’s Key Club.

Connecting with Arlington Community High School is one way the Kiwanis Club of South Arlington can fulfill its mission, club member and director John Murphy said.

“We’re very fortunate to have a relationship” with the school, he said.

“We’re delighted with the relationship,” added club president Andres Tobar.

Arlington Community High School in coming months moves into a new home, provided by Amazon in National Landing. School Board members recently signed a lease for up to 30 years, giving the school its first permanent home in more than a decade.

“We’re really excited to grow some roots and join this dynamic community,” Principal Allen said of the Pentagon City location.

In the coming school year, there may be opportunities for a three-way partnership between the Kiwanis Club, Arlington Community High School and Randolph Elementary School. Both the high school and Kiwanis Club have provided support for the elementary school in the past.