Clara Ferrari
Junior, Holton-Arms School
When Clara Ferrari had to choose a woman to research for her eighth-grade history project, Clara Barton seemed as good a choice as any. They share the same first name, after all.
After visiting the Clara Barton National Historic Site, just a few blocks from her home in Bethesda’s Bannockburn neighborhood, she became fascinated by the woman who established the American Red Cross at age 60. “She never gave up, no matter what,” says Clara, now 16. “She faced so much discrimination based on her age and gender. …She always wanted to help people, and that’s something I really want to do.”
Clara became the youngest volunteer guide at the historic Glen Echo house, quickly mastering the material needed to give 45-minute tours. “We were all blown away by how much she knew and how passionate she was about the subject matter,” says National Park Service Ranger Kevin Patti. Over two years, Clara logged more than 650 community service hours at the site before it closed for renovations last fall.
Although she misses sharing Clara Barton’s life with visitors, the Holton-Arms junior keeps busy. She is an editor for the school paper, Scribbler, acts in school plays and co-founded a knitting club at school that makes items for people in need. She also sings in the Children’s Chorus of Washington’s concert chorus and its elite chamber ensemble that performed in France last summer. A strong student carrying a heavy load of AP classes, she is described by her teachers as genuinely curious.
Clara has ruled out a career in nursing because she’s “not good with blood and gore.” She may study law, criminal justice or public policy. “I don’t know who I’d be if it weren’t for Clara Barton,” she says. “Otherwise, I can imagine I would have spent my summers just watching Netflix. …I’m so lucky to have found something I’m so passionate about early on.”