High school student creates first annual districtwide bullying prevention essay contest
When Jasia Clark was a student at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School in Athens, Georgia, she often turned to her principal, Melanie Sigler, for guidance if she was having a bad day. Even the smallest gesture, like Sigler’s open-door policy, made Clark feel welcomed in Sigler’s office no matter what she wanted to discuss.
In fact, Sigler made such a huge impact on her that in April, Clark recognized her mentor with a special award honoring her as the inspiration for Clarke County’s first annual Districtwide Bullying Prevention Essay Contest, which ran for one month at the beginning of the year.
With positivity as the central theme, the essay prompt encouraged middle and high school students to nominate a CCSD employee who impacted them in the past by either standing up to bullying or helping to prevent it. The contest received a total of 78 entries with 31 employees from 12 schools nominated.
Essay Contest Award Winners
Middle School Level
- Nominating student: Jimena Somilleda; Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School
- Nominated adult: Laura Porter; Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School
High School Level
- Nominating student: EllaRose Millsap; Classic City High School
- Nominated adult: Tiffani Knight; Classic City High School