A dedicated student and beloved teammate, former AHS student Malcolm Kent died on Jan. 27 at the age of 17. 

Kent made the most of his AHS experience, playing freshman football and JV lacrosse during the 2019-20 school year. 

“Malcolm Kent was a student at Annandale HS who in his time here was involved in lots of school-related activities such as freshmen football and lacrosse in addition to others. He was well-liked by his friends, teammates, and staff members at Annandale,” Principal Shawn DeRose said. “His presence here will always be missed.”

Kent was beloved by his teammates, coaches, and classmates. He lit up every room he walked into with his infectious personality and contagious spirit.

“During freshman year, Malcolm, some other teammates, and I were wrestling on the turf field after practice. Despite a smaller stature, Malcolm wasn’t scared to wrestle anybody no matter their size,” senior Marcelo Pozo said. 

Malcolm Kent was never afraid of anything, he constantly pushed himself and his teammates to become better versions of themselves, while creating great memories in the process.

“I will remember the joy and positivity he brought around, as well as the laughs he gave me and the rest of the team,” Pozo said.

During his lone season on the football team, Kent worked on both offense and defense, filling in at positions of need across the roster.

“Malcolm was a friend, and he became a member of our football family,” senior John Luseni said. “No matter what, Malcolm made everyone around him smile above everything else.” 

English teacher Bill Maglisceau coached Kent in both football and lacrosse. 

“Malcolm always aimed to please, he did a great job of pumping his teammates up when they did something awesome, and picking them up if they made a mistake,” Maglisceau said. “His attendance was excellent, and he was a role model for how to behave in-and-out of the locker room.”

Kent made a constant effort to make a positive impact on the people he was around, and the situation he was in. He touched so many people in the AHS community, and he stayed in touch with many students even after his time at AHS. 

“Malcolm always had a kind heart and he always made me smile,” senior Robel Guerme said. “Anytime I felt down, he always knew a way to make me smile, and I will miss him for that.”

The Kent family will be holding a public memorial service for Malcolm this Sat., Feb. 4. The service will begin at 12 p.m. at Capital Baptist Church, 3504 Gallows Rd, Annandale VA.

Students, staff, and members of the community are encouraged to wear attire in relation to their time with Malcolm, (i.e. a school sweatshirt, a team lacrosse jersey, etc.). This is optional, but will help to show all of the positive interactions that Malcolm had throughout his life.

Significant information regarding the situation was provided by the Kent family.

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