While it is impossible to fully recognize the over 16,000 alumni and at least 1,500 staff members who have made Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology one of the leaders in STEM education in Northern Virginia the past 40 years, TJHSST held one of the largest gatherings of alumni and former staff with its 40 ^th Anniversary Celebration Oct. 24-25. 

“What an incredible weekend it was to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology!” commented TJHSST Principal and Class of 1989 Alum Michael Mukai. “Sharing in the remarkable achievements of TJHSST, and, more importantly, seeing the global impact our alumni continue to make, was truly inspiring.

“The powerful support shown by our division leadership, school board, and community reaffirms our mission as we work to support the future generations of the TJ family.” 

The excitement began on Friday evening with a spirited tailgate held prior to the TJHSST football game. Alumni gathered on a cool, brisk weekend to enjoy each other’s company, greeted by food trucks, a lively DJ, and several unique 40th Anniversary items for sale.

Before the football game, TJ honored all the former staff in attendance by bringing them out to the field to be recognized, a group that included former principals, Mr. Geoff Jones and Ms. Elizabeth Lodal.

During halftime, TJ recognized all the returning alumni, while the TJ Partnership Fund announced the initial members of its 1985 club, whose future donations are dedicated to benefiting TJ.

Saturday brought a full day of activities, beginning with an Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hundreds of former students and staff returned to the campus to visit and see all the remarkable changes throughout the years.

Current TJ students, known as “TJ Ambassadors,” gave tours of the building throughout the event, while TJ Lab Directors manned the research labs to give demonstrations of the amazing work current students are undertaking.

Following the tours, current students and their parents were given a chance to interact with alumni in TJ’s Alumni/Student Networking event. The alums focused on sharing how their TJ and college experiences led them to the career paths they are on today.

Over 30 alumni and 250 TJ students participated. The students were so eager and asked so many questions that an event scheduled for only one hour ended up lasting for over two!

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, nearly 50 former and current TJ faculty and staff gathered to interact with their former students who wanted to say hello. TJ was grateful to its PTSA, which generously provided lunch to the staff during this time.

Guests who stopped by were also able to see TJ’s new Alumni Hall and Gallery of Achievement displays. Each of these displays was highlighted by an 85-inch screen that holds a repository of TJ history from its yearbooks, newspapers, student publications, graduation ceremonies, homecomings, and more.

This impressive achievement was the culmination of a three-and-a-half-year project by TJ Director of Communications Mike Roth to digitize the entirety of TJ’s history, which previously sat in the archive room as a treasure trove of documents, pictures, and VHS videos. 

The general public can view that history here . 

The 40th Anniversary Weekend concluded with a banquet at the Hilton Tysons Corner Saturday evening hosted by the TJ Partnership Fund. FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, Chief of Schools Dr. Geovanny Ponce, Chair of the TJ Partnership Fund Hilary Gustave (’95) and Principal Muaki all made remarks to the 500-plus alumni, staff, former staff, parents, former parents and friends in attendance. It was a great night of food, fun and a celebration of all things TJ!

“Sharing in the remarkable achievements of TJHSST, and, more importantly, seeing the global impact our alumni continue to make, was truly inspiring,” said Mukai. 

Looking to the future, TJHSST will continue to recognize the contributions of its alumni and former staff beyond the 40th Anniversary Celebration, as Mukai announced the formation of TJ’s Hall of Honor that will celebrate the remarkable achievements of the community. The induction criteria will be revealed at the TJ Partnership Fund’s annual Alumni Weekend next month, with the inaugural induction ceremony coming in November 2026.