Alexandria Student, Naomi Wadler, 11, Takes National Stage

Mary Wadland March 24, 2018

0 Less than a minute

11 year-old student Naomi Wadler speaks at March For Our Lives Rally

With a voice as firm and proud as a woman two or three times her age, Naomi Wadler, 11, told the world from the podium at the March 24 event, March for Our Lives, “I am here to acknowledge and represent the African-American girls whose stories don’t make the front page of every national newspaper, whose stories don’t lead on the evening news.”

On March 14, Naomi started to capture the spotlight and affection of her peers, teachers, neighbors and community when she helped organize the 18-minute walkout at George Mason Elementary School in Alexandria.

Post Views: 1,887

Mary Wadland

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, the award-winning Alexandria news publication she founded in 2010 with a mission of celebrating community, culture, and all the good news happening across the city. A longtime community advocate and storyteller, Mary was selected for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce inaugural 40 Under 40 class and has served as President of Living Legends of Alexandria since 2022. Known for her deep local roots, sharp editorial instincts, and passion for connecting people through journalism, she has spent decades chronicling the personalities, businesses, events, and civic life that make Alexandria unique. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, and has been part of Alexandria’s publishing and media community since 1987.