Northwest High School Celebrates "Best in the DMV" Title with Pep Rally and School Spirit

Northwest High School celebrated its victory as the “Best High School in the DMV” with a pep rally on Friday, April 25, after winning Hot 99.5’s annual listener-voted competition.

“We are incredibly honored that Northwest High School has been voted the best high school in the DMV by Hot 99.5 listeners,” said Principal Scott Smith. “This recognition reflects the extraordinary spirit, pride and excellence of our students, staff, families and community. At Northwest, we believe in the power of strong relationships, high expectations and creating opportunities for every student to succeed. Our Jaguar community is truly special — it’s a place where everyone belongs and where we are always striving to be our best, together.”

Radio hosts Elizabethany and Nick Gomez from Hot 99.5 visited the Germantown campus to present the school with a $1,000 check and a commemorative plaque on behalf of the station. The event brought out students, staff and community members in a show of school spirit and pride.

Student Natalie Giron said, “Northwest is the best high school because everybody is just so kind and welcoming, we have lots of school spirit and we are very diverse.”

Northwest was one of six MCPS schools to be nominated in the competition, which ran on the radio station’s Instagram through March 31. Other schools included Montgomery Blair, Northwood, Rockville, Wheaton and Quince Orchard.

The contest was part of the station’s community engagement efforts and invited listeners from across the Washington, D.C. region to vote for their favorite high school. Hot 99.5 also announced that Northwest students will be invited to attend special events hosted by the station throughout the year.

Student Selina Laweryson said the award reflects the culture students experience every day. “Northwest High School is committed to making every student feel seen, heard and valued,” she said.