All to often, students join clubs to hang out with friends or boost their chances of getting into a top university. These students don’t fully dedicate themselves to the club or the cause it is supporting. They take advantage of the perks and lose much of the value that clubs can present. But for senior Daniela Guevara that is anything but the case.

“I’ve been in SAFE (Stopping AIDS For Everyone) club for four years now, since freshmen year,” said Guevara. “And I think this is probably the best club I have joined at Annandale.”
Although as a freshman she merely stumbled across the club at orientation, she has since made the SAFE club and the cause it supports among her top priorities.

The SAFE club promotes the awareness of HIV/AIDS and the prevention of it and other STDs. And the students who make up this organization, Guevara among them, participate in training sessions in order to promote the prevention of these avoidable diseases.

“After participating in Northern Virginia Aids Ministry training sessions, students become certified members of the SAFE club. These now certified members, we meet once or twice a month to sign up for the “Face to Face” Presentations,” Guevara said. “The presentations we do to the 10th grade health classes. Each of the members pair up to talk to 10th graders about everything they need to know about HIV/AIDS and other STDs: like dangers, facts, protection, transmission and testing information.”

These facts and numbers that Guevara presents certainly make some skirmish, but such awkward responses do not affect her. Guevara believes that getting the information out is more important than keeping everyone comfortable.

“Most people don’t like to talk about how HIV can be transmitted, but I really don’t mind it,” Guevara said. “It’s important to discuss the topic because if you don’t, people are left with false information that could lead to bad decisions. I feel that the awkwardness is all worth it if you can make a difference.”

And Guevara’s work and presentations certainly have made a difference. Although she has also reaped benefits from the SAFE club: maturing and improving her public speaking, it is the students of AHS that are rewarded most. The information that Guevara exposes helps save lives, prevents the spread of harmful diseases and opens the eyes of otherwise oblivious kids. By just getting the word out, Guevara makes a difference.