Today was another special day as I got to do two things that are near and dear to my heart: Speak to students at a local school, and share my story about bullying. It is so important that we continue to reach out to students of all ages and instill in them values that will impact their lives and our world in a truly positive way.
St Louis de Monfort is a really neat Catholic educational institution. It is tucked away in Fishers, IN off of a side road where not too many people travel. I received an invitation to come speak to the students on behalf of one of the student’s fathers who I have worked with on numerous occasions. This invitation was to hopefully share a message with the students at this school about friendship and the Golden Rule. There have been entirely too many instances of bullying at this particular institution, and this father thought maybe Miss America could leave an impression with the kids.
I was horribly bullied when I was younger. I never had any friends and usually spent my recess time in the classroom working ahead on homework, or cleaning off the chalkboards. I was a very lonely child when it came to the social aspect, but it proved to make me stronger than ever and able to go out and live my wildest dreams.
After sharing my personal story and speaking from a self-help book entitled, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens,” I took a moment to tell the students exactly what was on my mind. “If you have been bullied, or are currently being bullied, there is hope. I am a result of bullying and I couldn’t be happier. And for those of you who have bullied, or are currently bullying someone…STOP!” I caught myself getting very enthusiastic about this message and even a little emotional. Bullying has to stop. There has to be an answer as to how we can make a difference at our schools, on the playground and in our homes. Share love and only love. There is never room for hate.
Katie Stam 