On Christmas night 2025, Annandale High School sophomore Annie Vu was killed in a high-speed crash on I-495 while heading home from a holiday dinner — a tragedy that shook the Annandale community and left many students and parents searching for answers.
Some of those answers came through the reporting of Annandale High School senior Zoe Ligairi.
In the days that followed, Ligairi sat down with the grieving family, working to piece together what happened and what it meant for those left behind — including Annie’s parents, who were also in the car at the time of the crash, and her 12-year-old brother, who suffered traumatic brain injuries.
Ligairi initially co-wrote a breaking news story on the crash. But she and her team pushed further, reporting not just on the details of the incident, but on who Annie was and how her family was grappling with the aftermath.
“Those were really emotional interviews,” Ligairi told FFXnow.
Ligairi’s feature on Vu for The A-Blast, Annandale High’s student newspaper, is one of more than 75 stories that has earned her recognition as Virginia Student Journalist of the Year by the Virginia High School League, along with the 2026 Col. Charles E. Savedge Scholarship.
In addition to serving as co-editor-in-chief of The A-Blast, she has published work for regional and national outlets, including USA Today, Greater Greater Washington, Youthcast Media Group and MindSite News.
Ligairi found her way into journalism almost by accident. An artist and writer at heart, she originally signed up for a creative writing elective that was canceled due to low enrollment. When asking her to choose another class, a counselor suggested journalism as a natural fit.
At the time, journalism hadn’t been on her radar, but once she got into the classroom, Ligairi quickly gravitated toward the opportunity to write about topics she cared about, from fashion and student life to broader issues that gave her opportunities to connect with people across the school community.
She soon took on a leadership role, reviving the paper’s lifestyle coverage and eventually rising to co-editor-in-chief. Over the past three years, Ligairi has helped lead the student newsroom while producing a wide range of stories, from coverage of Fairfax County Public Schools’ budget challenges to reporting on food insecurity and other issues affecting Annandale students.
Ligairi now oversees a staff of more than two dozen student journalists, balancing reporting with editing, mentoring and managing production deadlines for both print and digital platforms.
But with the new title also came a steep learning curve. After stepping into the role as a junior, Ligairi found herself not only producing her own work, but constantly troubleshooting problems across the newsroom from chasing down late stories and helping less experienced writers develop sources, to making sure the paper gets out on time each month.
“A lot of the challenges I’ve faced are just coming up with solutions to things, honestly,” she said. “You’re having to deal with a lot of emergencies. If something goes wrong … I find a way to fix it … I think that’s one of the reasons that I have been so successful as a student journalist.”
Her adviser, Alan Weintraut, who has taught at Annandale for more than three decades and oversees The A-Blast, said Ligairi plays a central role in the newsroom, helping students refine their work, address issues and keep the paper moving toward deadline.
“Zoe’s is always in motion, full of passion and professionalism,” Weintraut said, adding that Ligairi ranks among the top students he’s taught in more than three decades.
Ligairi said her work with Youthcast Media Group, which partners student journalists with professional reporters and editors, also played a key role in sharpening her skills early on. The experience gave her more direct editing, feedback and exposure to professional standards.
“Youthcast Media Group really gave me a lot of tools to get better at writing,” she said.
Under her leadership, The A-Blast has expanded both its reach and output, growing into a monthly 16-page broadsheet newspaper while increasing its staff size and strengthening its digital presence.
The paper’s Instagram account following has climbed from about 1,400 to nearly 1,700, with some posts drawing more than 10,000 views, and it has continued to rank among the top high school newspapers in the country at national journalism conventions.
Ligairi plans to attend the University of Virginia this fall, and while the school does not offer a journalism degree, she said she intends to stay involved through student media and internships. She said the experience has already given her the confidence to speak up, ask questions and tell stories that matter — whether she continues in journalism or not.
“Journalism really helped me break out of my shell, and it’s just opened so many more doors in my life,” she said. “I’ve gained this self confidence, and I know that my work matters, and so, I should have a voice in the conversation.”
