Vienna Student Stands Out For Work With Special Needs Students

VIENNA, VA — With schools shutting down early due to the coronavirus, Bea Webster's senior year at Marshall High School didn't end the way she would've wanted it. But earlier in July, the lifelong Vienna resident was recognized for her academic accomplishments, activities, and work with special needs students throughout her high school career. The Fairfax County School Board presented Webster with the 2020 Laura Ashley Piper Scholarship in a July virtual meeting.

The scholarship is dedicated to Laura Ashley Piper, a former student representative to the school board who served in the Air Force and was killed in action over Iraq in 1994. The school board awards the scholarship to a student who demonstrates the "attributes of personal excellence and commitment to student government" as Piper did.

Webster has a long list of awards and accomplishments from her time at Marshall — a 4.525 grade average, participation in field hockey, track and soccer, two years of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Student of the Year program, selection for the 2019 Fairfax County Leadership Program, National Honors Society and so on.

But what sets her apart is her dedication to the special needs community. That all started growing up with a sibling who has a disability.

Her older brother Augie has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal, so he uses a device to communicate and a wheelchair. Bea enjoyed growing up with him, but that sometimes required thick skin. When they were kids, she recalls people staring at Augie at the mall. So Bea and her other brother would stare back.

Augie is 18 months older, but he attends an extended program at Falls Church High School while Bea graduates and moves on to college. Their mother Kathy Webster says Bea and Augie are the closest of her four kids; that means Bea will take him out with her friends, do activities at home or just chat with the help of his communication device.

"[When] he is feeling anxious, she will just sit there and hold his hand and talk to him," said Kathy Webster.

Bea's support for the special needs community extended into her school life. For four years, Webster has been part of Best Buddies at Marshall High School, where students with a disability are paired with a peer. She became president in her senior year and organized a "lunch pals" program to ensure students have others to socialize with in the cafeteria. Even when the pandemic closed schools, she continued to organize virtual ways to socialize with buddies during the pandemic.

Webster shared her belief that "everyone has something special to bring to the table." Her brother Augie, for instance, is a foodie who can always choose good food or restaurants. At school, she believes special needs students aren't necessarily treated badly, but her peers may not normally interact with people who aren't like them.

"I would encourage them to be a friend. Even though it's hard, even though it's new, ask them to hang out, sit with them at lunch," she said.

Webster was also recognized with Marshall High School PTA's Debbie Witherow Award for her work with Best Buddies.

"Through Bea's dedication and example, the Best Buddies program has thrived over the last four years," wrote Best Buddies advisor Sarah Español. "She has increased membership, and students in Best Buddies take their role seriously. Bea's commitment has infused the entire group and they all work hard to create memories and friendships."

Kathy Webster believes her daughter gained a broad perspective of the world growing up with a sibling that has a disability and focusing on more than academic achievements.

"To see that she got the Laura Piper Scholarship made me feel good about my parenting, that I didn't push her on all these academic things," she said.

A life-long Vienna resident, Webster will attend the University of Virginia in the fall. She is looking into studying either political science or global studies with a Spanish minor. One thing that's certain is that she wants to continue service opportunities and Best Buddies, the latter of which she hopes will include virtual ways to socialize with buddies.

As Bea experiences this rite of passage, her brother Augie will have his own. He was motivated to look into moving to a group home when Bea was looking at colleges. That's just what siblings close in age will do.

"I would say that we motivate each other," she said.