Naia Grace Fairchild recently moved to Rosslyn, Virginia, and is a proud 2025 Best Buddies Champion and State Ambassador for DC and Virginia. A dedicated hospitality professional, Naia has over seven years of experience, including roles as a baker’s assistant at Albemarle Baking Company and a barista at Kindness Cafe and Play in Charlottesville, where she grew up.
Her leadership was established early when she became the first student with Down syndrome at Charlottesville High School to earn a Standard Diploma. Naia lives with her parents and has two younger brothers, Cole and Jude. Her inspiring journey of determination and inclusion is chronicled in the acclaimed book Choosing Naia: A Family’s Journey by Mitchell Zuckoff, which highlights her parents’ path from a prenatal diagnosis to supporting and advocating for Naia in her early years.
