BRCWRT 2026 SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Kaiely Morales
By John Carter

Fairfax Station: A Lifeline and Strategic Crossroads in the Civil War

The 2026 Bull Run Civil War Roundtable College Scholarship winner is Kailey Morales. Kailey is a graduating senior at West Springfield High School and will be attending the University of Virginia this fall. She plans to major in Civil Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering. While not a history major, Kaiely describes how she combines engineering with her love of American history. “I find different historical sites with infrastructure interesting because it gets me thinking about the society and the civilization that lived on the ground before me, and the engineers who created these sites. I want to create locations where people can live, work, and thrive which combines functionality with lasting impact.” This is reflected in her essay, “Fairfax Station: A Lifeline and Strategic Crossroads in the Civil War.” She combined a brief history of the newly-developed railroad industry with its economic and social impact on the Fairfax Station community in Fairfax County. She focused on its use during the Civil War as a part of the military supply line and its use for the evacuation of sick and wounded soldiers.


Kaiely Morales on the left with her mother

Kaiely maintains a 4.430 cumulative grade point average in a challenging academic curriculum, which includes nine AP courses and a dual-enrollment US & Virginia History class through Northern Virginia Community College. Her AP Senior Seminar paper included a presentation on “Architectural Historical Preservation.” Her leadership roles include the vice president of the Rising Global Citizen, the president of the Equity Club, a National Honors Society officer, and a Virginia Spanish Honor Society officer. She also served as a Fairfax County Student Human Rights Commissioner. Kaiely was selected for the Virginia Residential Governor’s School for STEM. In her church, she served as a bilingual translator, as well as a volunteer working with their homeless shelter outreach, and was a missionary volunteer at an orphanage.

Kaiely has won numerous awards for her her creative work in her technology projects, including first place in her school’s National History Day for creating an animated ten-minute documentary on how Walt Disney’s art served as a turning point in history. Her dual enrollment United States History teacher noted that “she regularly engaged with class material and discussions in ways that elevated the learning experience for everyone. Her ability to engage with diverse perspectives has made her a valued member of group assignments.” Her scholarship interview showed how she can also engage at a personal level in discussions with any audience. She answered questions in depth and even answered the next question the committee was planning to ask. Kaiely spoke in a stream of consciousness, where she gave the basic answer to the question then seamlessly connected it to her experiences and observations in related areas. In turn, she asked questions of the committee members and about the Roundtable.

At the core of Kaiely’s academic experience is her commitment to personal service and leadership to both her community and to the wider circles of community across the state. Her technological skills, and later her engineering skills, will become the platform for her to affect change. Her earlier statement, “I want to create locations where people can live, work, and thrive which combines functionality with lasting impact,” best defines her direction for the future.