Michel D’Anna believes in the power of stories. He believes it’s one reason humans are attracted to the theater. He retired earlier this month after 41 years as a teacher, most recently at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md. Before that, he was at Rockville’s Magruder High. And before that, he was at Tilden Middle School, where one of his students was Michael Mayer, now a Tony-winning Broadway director responsible for such shows as “Spring Awakening” and “American Idiot.”

For Montgomery County teenager Alexa Crist, playing hockey isn’t the only thing she does, she also volunteers her time to help her community. The Walt Whitman High School graduate is a certified EMT for the Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department.

One of the best players in Washington Spirit history had her jersey retired on June 22 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown. A Springbrook High School graduate, Joanna Lohman was honored at halftime of the Houston Dash-Spirit game for her professional and personal achievements as part of Pride Night.

Students from Northwest High School and Rock Creek Forest Elementary School were recently named winners of the Maryland Council on Economic Education’s Stock Market Game. The game is an educational simulation that teaches students about the stock markets by allowing students to make mock transactions and trades.

Aaryan Patel, a freshman captain on the Clarksburg (Md.) High School boys' volleyball team this spring, was named the U.S. Army Impact Player of the Month. Clarksburg head coach Dawn Dickinson nominated Patel for the award.

Taylor Wright’s career at Northwest High is officially over but that did not stop her from continuing to assert her dominance in high school track and field competition. Wright capped off her accolade-filled career with a Maryland state record performance.

In the SourceAmerica Design Challenge, a team from Poolesville High School created two devices that help people with disabilities in the workplace.

More than 160 students participated in the MoCo’s Got Talent finals on June 9 at The Fillmore. The annual talent show features middle and high school students in the visual and performing arts. Congratulations to the five first-place winners including vocalist Jeanne Lubika, the band Karousel, dancer Ankit Guliani, artist Mya Simpson, and artist Larisa Kachko.

Team Green Tea, three seventh graders from Roberto Clemente Middle School, are competing in an Army-based STEM competition encouraging students to develop solutions to real-world problems in their local communities.

A teenager from Chevy Chase, Maryland, will compete on the ABC game show “Jeopardy!” on Wednesday, June 19. Montgomery Blair High School junior Sophia Weng is in the quarterfinals of the show’s Teen Tournament, DCist reported.

Generations of Silver Spring, Maryland, children have been cultivated by her kindness, firm guidance and devotion to her school. Now, Virginia “Ginny” Bumblis is bidding farewell to New Hampshire Estates Elementary School after 50 years as a teacher’s aide.

Kevin Isabelle-Peete is a 2013 graduate of Northwest High School. He’s currently at Towson University studying Elementary and Special Education. Isaac Cudjoe graduates from Seneca Valley in 2012. He has a masters in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from Brandeis University. Together, these two young men have started Brothers With Books. Kevin and Isaac noticed that students aren’t reading as much as they should, so they wanted to make sure that students had adequate access to books.

The Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park lives up to its name. In the 20 years since the doors to the training facility opened, dozens of youngsters have developed into junior and collegiate champs, with some becoming highly ranked pros. Ayana Akli was headed for the University of Maryland. The ­17-year-old Wheaton High graduate had capped off her senior year by winning the Maryland 4A girls’ tennis singles title — for the third year in a row.

Meet Christian Melgar, who went from being a "C" student to earning a full college scholarship at Bucknell University, thanks to help from his teachers and mentors at Rockville High School.

An eighth-grade student from Cabin John Middle School made it to the finals of the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee. Anson Cook, 12, was one of the last 50 finalists standing in the spelling bee. This is the second year Cook competed in the bee.

Kahlil Greene made history at Yale University when his classmates elected him as their first black student body president. The Montgomery County native got his start right here in the DMV where he graduated from Poolesville High School.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School senior Andrew Cha was recognized for raising nearly $10,000 over three years to help families in Flint, Michigan receive clean water.

Milan Bhayana’s run has been nothing short of magical. The 13-year-old from Chevy Chase knocked off 200 opponents at MagicFest in Buffalo, New York, in late April to earn a spot in the Mythic Championship IV Magic: The Gathering tournament in Barcelona.