Provided by PW NAACP
Three Prince William County students received gold medals to advance for competition at the national level in Atlantic City, New Jersey July 14 to 17, 2022 in the inaugural Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Science Olympics (ACT-SO) Competition and Awards Program sponsored by the Prince William County
NAACP at the Northern Virginia Community College – Woodbridge Campus.
Ayana Conley, a sophomore at Gainesville High School, advanced in Photography; Indigo Green, a senior at Colgan High School, advanced in Written Poetry; and Kyrah Davis, a senior at Osbourn Park High School, goes on to compete in the Music Vocal Contemporary category.
Ten Northern Virginia students competed in categories which also included dramatics, music
instrumental and music vocal classical, original essay, painting and chemistry from Woodbridge
and Colgan High Schools in Prince William County, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science
and Technology in Fairfax County, Thomas A. Edison High School in Alexandria and Christ
Chapel Academy in Woodbridge.
“Skills and hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” Dr. LaTanya, McDade Prince
William County School Superintendent, reminded an audience of about 100 during Saturday’s
opening ceremony for the inaugural Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Science Olympics
(ACT-SO) Competition and Awards Program sponsored by the Prince William County NAACP
at the Woodbridge Campus of Northern Virginia Community College.
ACT-SO, a year-long enrichment program is designed to recruit, stimulate, improve and
encourage high academic and cultural achievement among high school students. The ACT-SO
program centers around the dedication and commitment of community volunteers, educators,
artists, civic leaders, and business leaders to serve as mentors and coaches to promote
academic and artistic excellence.
“We have oratorical and we have STEM in the county,” said Rev. Cozy Bailey, Prince William
NAACP President, referring to the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Competition and
Program, and the Annual Youth Summit and Technology Expo. “Nowhere do we combine
social justice, advocacy and pride” as we do here with ACT-SO, added Bailey.
The PW NAACP’s inaugural ACT-SO program was a success, according to PW ACT-SO Chair
Michael Artson, citing parent and mentor/coaching support for the 10 ACT-SO Northern Virginia
High School Student Competitors representing Prince William and Fairfax Counties, Culpeper,
Manassas, and Alexandria in nine competition categories; a community-audience of more than
100 attendees for both opening and closing ceremonies, 15 judges, and many volunteers.
Four of the 10 competitors advanced for competition at the national-level while five
competitors earned silver and bronze medals.
The local ACT-SO competition serves to showcase the hard work students have put in all year
long during the mentorship-coaching period, said McDade. Ultimately it is a celebration of the
unique skills and talent that has brought each student here today.
