For Germanna student Knoelle Pipes, standing out is the new fitting in.
She describes her younger self as quiet and a little quirky—“weird,” in her words—and says she was often singled out by classmates.
“People used to bully me because they thought I was weird,” Knoelle recalls. “I was smart and capable. And my classmates didn’t like that, so they would try to bring me down.”
But over time, that “weirdness” became her strength.
Now a confident and compassionate leader at Germanna, Knoelle is using her voice to empower others—through writing, leadership, and community.
Knoelle moved from Alexandria to the Fredericksburg area in 2020, just after finishing ninth grade, and right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. When her senior year at Massaponax High School rolled around, Knoelle was excited to continue her education but wasn’t ready for the size or pace of a four-year university just yet.
A visit from a Germanna recruiter to her high school sparked her interest.
Knoelle submitted her Germanna application that same night and was accepted on the spot.
But Germanna wasn’t completely new to Knoelle, as she took dual enrollment courses through the College to earn additional college credit. “Dual enrollment was really fun,” she recalls. “I enjoyed the classes and professors, and I felt like it really prepared me for college.
Little did she know this dual enrollment experience would be the first step to her own personal self-discovery.
Knoelle began writing as a personal outlet—processing the pain of bullying, isolation, and self-doubt through poetry. But as she began sharing her work, she realized it had the power to move others.
After finding out that Knoelle was a skilled writer, her dual enrollment professor encouraged her to enter Germanna’s annual Poetry and Visual Arts Competition. Knoelle submitted three poems, including poems about colorism and beauty standards—topics drawn from her own experiences.
“I’d previously performed my colorism poem at my high school and received negative feedback,” she says. “So, when Germanna asked me to perform it again, I was nervous.”
But this time, her voice was heard. She won first place in the competition—while still in high school.
“That moment was so validating,” Knoelle says. “It showed me that my voice mattered. That I could use my writing not just to heal, but to inspire.”
Once Knoelle started her first year at Germanna, she was determined to involve herself in the campus culture.
She began as an intern with Student Life & Leadership, where she helped organize campus events and got a front-row seat to the work of the Student Government Association (SGA).
“After seeing everything SGA did, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” she says.
Now, she serves as Vice President of Service for SGA. In that role, she helps plan service projects, represents student voices, and shares her story with local high schoolers—just like the Germanna recruiter who inspired her.
“Part of my job is going to different high schools and talking about my experience at Germanna,” she says. “It’s surreal, because I remember being in their shoes.”
Knoelle is also active with The Roar, Germanna’s creative arts student publication, as well as Phi Theta Kappa and the Black Student Alliance. Additionally, she serves as a Virginia Student Intern Ambassador and the main officer of the Positive Service Society.
More recently, she started Knoelle’s Campus Chronicles, a personal blog she created to share her voice on campus.
Knoelle is set to graduate in May 2026, and she hopes to transfer to a four-year university and pursue a career in education.
“I want to work with students because I know what it’s like not to be helped in school,” she says. “I was grateful to be supported by my friends and family along the way, but I never had that same support within the education system. I want to be the person I needed when I was younger.”
She also hopes to publish her poetry someday and continue using her voice to spark change.
“Germanna was the first place that really saw potential in me,” she says. “And now, I see it in myself.”
With every blog post, every leadership meeting, and every poem she writes, Knoelle is rewriting the story of who she is—and helping others do the same.
