From Kansas City, meet Missouri Student State Rep Bailee, Be Strong’s December 2018 Student of the Month!
“It is okay to doubt yourself but it’s not okay to give up. It’s not what we do. We are here for each other and I’m here for you.” – Bailee
During her sophomore year, Bailee recognized the need for change and sought to serve as a Be Strong representative, also starting a We Dine Together initiative at her high school.
“Bailee first approached me about starting a club at our school that would put students together at the lunch table,” said teacher & We Dine Together sponsor, Jared Buckman. “She needed help having positive conversations with students that she didn’t have relationships with. She felt that many students feel lonely and unwanted during lunch time, and that friendships can be started at the lunch table.”
Only a few short weeks after joining Be Strong, Bailee seized the opportunity to address her district’s Board of Education. There, she was able to spread awareness about the social adversities that she and other students are facing at school, educate the board on her inclusion efforts on campus, and invite them to support her in bridging the gap between students.
Though it has not always been easy, Bailee is a young woman on a mission of greatness. “A lot has happened this week, and a lot has gone through my mind. One of the biggest questions I ask myself is if this club is a good idea. Or if I should just give up and give it to someone who isn’t getting bullied like myself,” she wondered. “But then I started to think and realized that giving up isn’t who I am, and it’s not what I’m going to do.”
A selfless person by nature, you can find Bailee paying it forward to local first responders, advocating for inclusion, lending an ear to those who need to let it out, and building up strangers on social media.
Click here to meet Bailee & see the awesome work she’s doing.
