Senior Amanda Halacy is a 2013 recipient of the Student Peace Award of Fairfax County.

The award honors twelve high school juniors or seniors who demonstrate an understanding of the necessity to promote peace.

According to Margaret Rogers, the chair of the Student Peace Awards Committee, Halacy’s actions are inspiring.

“Clearly Amanda Halacy has been very active, and so I am not surprised that she would stand out [as a nominee],” Rogers said.

Individual schools handle the selection of their nominee, and South Lakes created its own criterion for nominations, specifically by discussing potential candidates with the school’s scholarship committee and other faculty members.

To be considered for the award, Halacy was recommended by her counselor Suzanne Parrotte.

“Amanda is a positive person,” Parrote said in a press release. “She has a strong interest in helping others and she leaves a positive impact on all those she comes in contact with.”

Halacy’s commitment to service was sparked at a young age, thanks to her mother’s occupation as an owner of a local travel agency.

“My mom owns a travel agency and she got her job because my grandpa started at the Peace Corps,” Halacy said. “My mom was born in Indonesia so she was always internationally minded. It’s really important to her that we go out during the day and do service, then at the end of the day come back to our safe hotel. But it is really great because you get to see all of these great sides of the culture.”

Upon hearing she was a recipient of the award, Halacy was surprised and honored.

“It was amazing at the reception,” Halacy said. “I did not know that much about [the award] but I definitely advocate for it now. I know a lot of juniors next year who should be nominated. It was amazing, the reception. The other people who were nominated throughout the county were so impressive.”

Halacy has traveled to numerous countries on five continents to volunteer. Although she cannot single out one moment as most poignant, she pointed out moments when she had to overcome a language barrier.

“I think in general, when I travel I like learning,” Halacy said. “I like learning through experiencing. There is always that one moment where there is a language barrier. When I was in Thailand, I didn’t speak Thai. There was always a moment where I smile and there is an instant where we trust each other and we are friends now. So there is always that moment from every trip where you have that bond with someone, so it’s really cool.”

Not only does her volunteerism span the globe, Halacy’s dedication to service also has local roots.

As Interact Club president, she has helped organize school-wide fundraisers, including one that raised $1,000 for the Harambee Center in Nairobi, Kenya, inspired by a trip to the Mukuru Slum in Nairobi. The

Interact Club also partners with Reston Rotary to organize service events.

Halacy aspires to further her passion for service and the world during college. She plans to study international development and start her own non-profit organization.

Halacy hopes that her service inspires others to develop passions similar to hers for community service.

“It’s definitely really important to be internationally aware,” Halacy said. “I have been so fortunate that my mom is in this business. I realize that it its totally abnormal for me to go to these places. I really think that even if you can’t go these places, you can still make a difference from here. It is just really important plus it helps you become a much better person. It makes you aware of other things in life.”