WS is a school of many activities and events but lately, the school has been a mess with all the construction going on.

Malicia Braxton, the Director of Student Services (DSS), has been working exceptionally hard to get the school in order especially, with all the readjustments due to the renovations.

Braxton received the FCPS award for DSS of the Year this past summer after 16 long years in the county and Braxton couldn’t be happier.

“I was very surprised [to win the award] because there is are a lot of great things being done in the county,” said Braxton.

Braxton has done a marvelous job on connecting with students and ensuring they’re comfortable at the school. This primarily stems from her previous experience as a counselor.

“It is nice to have a director who has school experience as a director and a counselor,” said WS counselor Steve Myers. “[Braxton] understands the job and can bring her different experiences and ideas to WS.”

Braxton has played a significant role as the DSS to not only WS but also the county. After all, she was elected to be the president of the Fairfax County Association of DSS, which is voted on by other FCPS DSS’.

“She is a critical member of the administration team, making sure that WS is a safe and effective learning environment for all students,” said WS counselor Katy Sokolove.

WS has always endured many changes throughout its years. Students, counselors, and other staff members have gone in and out of these walls and it has been hard to keep up but Braxton has made sure to keep things under control.

“She has brought stability, experience, and vision to our student services department which was greatly needed,” said Myers.

Braxton has also been a key member in making sure all students have everything they need to succeed and graduate from WS.

“I like that she responds to emails as quickly as possible and allows students to have options about their schedules and activities,” said senior Tiffanie Vu.

Being a DSS at WS comes with a lot of responsibility. They not only have to make sure that WS is a safe and effective learning environment for everyone, but they also have to build the master schedule for the school, provide supervision to all the counselors, and guarantee that the Student Services Department delivers an amazing counseling program –just a few of Braxton’s tasks.

Braxton is also known for giving good advice to students when her help is needed.

“She’s understanding and she really listens to your opinion,” said senior Saba Farooqi.

The WS community is lucky to have an amazing DSS and the office of school counseling of FCPS chose a great candidate for the award.

“In [Braxton’s] short time at WS, she has acted as the catalyst for transformational change within our department,” said Myers.