Honoring Our Veteran Employees
As we approach Veterans Day on Monday, November 11, we would like to say a heartfelt “Thank you” to the many FCPS employees who are also military veterans. Take a look back at six employees we honored last year.
Angela Brown, senior manager of Warehouse Operations, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army after completing the ROTC program at the University of Dayton. She began her service at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division.
She served in various leadership roles. After four years on active duty, she transitioned to the Ohio National Guard.
Angie says her military career has shaped how she works with children and FCPS. “I deeply value providing exceptional customer service, whether to students, parents, or colleagues, because I know the impact it has on building trust and fostering a positive environment,” she said. “Leading teams in the military helped me discover my enjoyment in guiding groups toward shared goals, which I find invaluable when working collaboratively to meet the needs of the students and school community.”
It was a “true honor” to serve her country, and Angie says she brings “that same sense of duty and commitment to my work with Fairfax County Public Schools. I am genuinely honored to serve the children, parents, and staff of FCPS, supporting a community dedicated to growth, learning, and success. Being part of this mission will be incredibly fulfilling and allow me to continue serving in a meaningful way.”
Kaia Lazo, a history teacher at Luther Jackson Middle School, joined the United States Marine Corps right out of High School. She started boot camp on her 18th birthday.
In the Marines, Kaia operated and maintained vehicles, became a black belt in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), Combat Life Saver Certified, and became a certified trainer of the NATO NTS (evacuations tracking systems).
Her service took her all over the world: Japan, South Korea, Spain, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Turkey, and Kuwait. After seven years of service, Kaia left the Marines as a sergeant in 2019, focused on becoming a teacher.
“I strongly believe that I would not be where I am today without the guidance and support that the Marines has provided me,” Kaia said. “I had no intention of ever going to college when I first joined the Marines, but as I began to grow and mature in the service I also began to see that I had developed a passion for training and working with my Junior Marines and other service members.”
Kaia’s education, including her master’s degree, was covered by the G.I. Bill.
“I believe that the military instilled in me a strong sense of structure and patience — which you need an ABUNDANCE of to work with children. To be honest, working with some of my Junior Marines wasn’t too different from managing my current seventh graders,” she joked. “Many of the skills I learned in the military translate well with my career in education and I think that is one of the great benefits of the military, regardless of branch of service, you have to be adaptable.”
Margaret von Kolnitz, school based technology specialist (SBTS) at Fort Hunt Elementary School, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. She was the first female midshipman to participate in an exchange program with the French Naval Academy the summer after her junior year.
Margaret was a Naval Flight Officer C-130s Tacamo Nuclear Triad squadron VQ-4 and is a Desert Storm veteran. She served as a French interpreter for the Navy in the transaction of equipment sales, and as an intelligence officer. She was part of the first Troops to Teachers class at Old Dominion University and began her teaching career in Norfolk.
Margaret has worked for FCPS since 2010 as an ESOL teacher, History teacher, English teacher, and SBTS.
"I use my Naval leadership skills every day as an FCPS employee," she said. "The military prepared me to collaborate and support each part of the organization you belong to because a unit is only as strong as its weakest link."
Margaret is also a proud mom of four Hayfield Secondary School graduates.
FCPS employees: Are you a military veteran? We would love to share your story! Email us at [email protected] to share photos and tell us what brought you to FCPS and how your military career influenced or impacted the work that you do now. Your story may be shared in a follow-up blog.
