Faith Dellinger has dedicated much of her life so far to community service, and she plans to stay on that path of service in her future.
This fall, she is headed to Liberty University where she plans to study pre-law and minor in politics and public policy. Dellinger intends to become a lawyer and hopes to one day hold public office. Her late grandmother, Cynthia Dellinger, was the first woman elected to the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors and the first woman to chair the board.
“I just want to come back to Shenandoah County after college and use my education to better the community,” Dellinger said.
Looking to find her niche after going from private school to public school, Dellinger joined FFA in the seventh grade.
“FFA just continued to stick with me, so I continued to stick with it,” she said. “It felt like family.”
After graduating from Stonewall Jackson High School in 2020, Dellinger was chosen to be a Virginia FFA state officer. As the FFA state reporter, she has traveled around Virginia to promote leadership and agriculture. In April, Dellinger traveled to Costa Rica with FFA to meet agricultural leaders.
Dellinger has also been active in 4-H, showing pigs and steers. She was named Miss Teen Shenandoah County Fair in 2019.
Her time at Laurel Ridge – first as a dual-enrolled student and then as a traditional student – has been so “beneficial” to her.
“It was nice to have my professors reach out and check in on us during the pandemic,” Dellinger said. “It made it easier than I expected it to be.”
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.