LINDSAY LEE
Founder & Executive Director (CEO)
Founder and CEO, Lindsay Lee is a senior at Colonial Forge High School under the Commonwealth Governors School Program. Lee is passionate about leadership at school and the community. With leadership roles in class office, neuroscience club, music and science national honor societies, and various orchestras, she aims to break accessibility barriers in the educational, extracurricular, and healthcare spheres by creating free opportunities and resources for underrepresented communities. In her free time, Lee likes to play sports, oil paint, and engage in neuroscience research! Lee intends to major in neuroscience or neurobiology (pre-med track) while exploring entrepreneurship, public policy, and content-creation. Her inspiration behind founding BeyondPartners was her little brother, Jason, who has Down Syndrome. Check out Our Story to learn more about how BeyondPartners was made.
ABBY CHAU
VIRGINIA JOHNAKIN
Vice Chair & Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Vice Chair & Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Abby Chau is a senior at Colonial Forge High School under the Commonwealth Governors School Program. Chau serves as the vice president of CFHS UNICEF and RedCross, events chair of Student Voice Subcommittee, SCA Secretary, and co-founded an organization, SpreadSTEM, to promote student passions in STEM. In her free time, Chau enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. Abby aspires to pursue a career in medicine and pediatrics.
Virginia Johnakin is a senior at Colonial Forge High School. She has served as former SCA president, was in the Athletic Leadership Council this spring, is a volunteer for the mental health of America of Fredericksburg as well as Stafford County Schools, and is part of the Youth Of Virginia Speak Out about Traffic Safety (YOVASO): Virginia’s peer-to-peer education and prevention program for teen driver safety. Johnakin indulges in the Fellowship of Christian athletes and plays for the CFHS varsity field hockey team while being captain of the varsity lacrosse team. Johnakin spends her free time with the Younglife community, baking, and painting. She aspires to major in political science and minor in public policy.
JONA HAN
BECCA MESFIN
Executive Board Member
Executive Board Member
Jona Han will be a freshman at Georgetown University majoring in global health this upcoming fall. Aside from his contributions to Colonial Forge High School as former orchestra concertmaster, senior vice president, and officer for a multitude of clubs, he serves as Founder and President of Ascend Strings, a nonprofit where he promotes his love for music around the community. Han enjoys listening to and playing music, mainly violin and piano as well as competitive swimming.
Becca Mesfin is a senior at Colonial Forge High School under the Commonwealth Governors School Program. Mesfin serves as vice president of CFHS National Honor Society, historian of Health Occupations of America, and secretary of RedCross as well as LEO club. Mesfin has contributed as a student representative to Stafford County School Board’s Capital Improvement Plan Advisory Board Committee and volunteers as a certified income tax assistant. Mesfin has played varsity tennis for the past three years and has founded ACCESS 2 Education this past year, a campaign dedicated to spreading resources aiding education throughout the community. In her free time, Mesfin loves to play tennis and cook. Mesfin plans to major in public health to work towards becoming a pediatric surgeon.
LAUREN SMITH
GRETCHEN REITEN
Executive Board Member
Executive Board Member
Lauren Smith is a senior at Colonial Forge High School. She is an avid member of National Honor Society, UNICEF, Environmental Club, and Buddy Club where she spends her time with students with disabilities at CFHS. Smith works as PR officer for Red Cross, plays volleyball, and spends her weekends volunteering. Smith loves being in touch with her community, “I love spreading kindness and love to others in everything I do,” she says. Lauren plans on studying diagnostic medical sonography throughout her educational career.
Gretchen Reiten is a senior at Mountain View High School. She plays for the varsity soccer team and contributes to her school as a member of YoungLife, YOVASO, and National Honor Society. She has been playing soccer for 13 years and now plays for Stafford Soccer. Reiten works as a lifeguard, additionally teaching swim lessons to kids with disabilities. In her free time, Reiten enjoys spending time with friends and family, going shopping and on walks, getting ice cream, and enjoying the sunset. Her favorite place to be is the beach. Reiten plans to go to college to major in nursing with the intention of becoming a pediatric oncology nurse.
SAVANNAH HOWELL
EMMA FUTCH
Executive Board Member
Executive Board Member
Savannah Howell is a senior at Colonial Forge High School. Howell acts as yearbook managing editor and sports photographer for Colonial Forge High School, is a Learn & Serve student, and advocate for OnlyOne Climate. Howell is a member of Younglife and dedicates her time to being the manager of the CFHS boys lacrosse team. Her hobbies include spending time outside, “whether [it’s] hiking, surfing, or snowboarding,” attending Forge events and showing out with school spirit, thrifting, taking pictures, and hanging out with her friends. Howell aspires to major in marine conservation with a minor in environmental law in hopes of becoming a marine research technician.
Emma Futch is a junior at Colonial Forge High School. She competes as a member of CFHS Distributed Clubs of America (DECA), is a member of Younglife, and plays for Colonial Forge’s field hockey, swim, and lacrosse teams. In her free time, Futch enjoys swimming, spending quality time with friends and family, reading, or doing crafts. Futch is planning on studying conservation biology and veterinary sciences, she hopes to work in a rehabilitation center in Africa or South America in the future.
BeyondPartners 