Inspired By Her Sister

Posted: 6/13/2011

Jonna, a 7th grade student, is on the Teens Against Bullying Youth Leadership Board and sister to 6-year-old Amber, who was born with hydrocephalus—an excess accumulation of cerebral fluid in the brain—which has led to Amber living with very complicated medical issues and inspired Jonna to becoming an advocate, speaking out about issue that are important to her.

Jonna has been very active in bringing bullying awareness to her school in coordinating an awareness week, leading a petition signing event and speaking in front of parents and educators

Notes:

Dear Teens Against Bullying,

I have GREAT news!!!!!! I brought the anti- bullying petition to my school and instead of just having kids signing it at lunch we had a whole activity to go with it! We did an anti- bullying week, and monday (the first day of the awareness week) the students at my school did an activity during homeroom that taught about different kinds of bullying; and who we can stop bullying! then for the whole week students could go and sign the petition. Then once they signed it they got a little dyecut of a person and signed their name. Then we hung up the little dyecuts in the front window of the school. Roughly I got 230 signatures.  
During the week, as I was walking out of the school there was a mom of a student that was admiring the many names that hung on the front window. She said to me and my mom that she is finally so happy that someone is doing something about bullying. She said that her child goes to school here and that he is bullied. She looked as if she were about to cry. I also spoke at a PTO meeting (Parent Teacher Organization) and they felt that what I was doing was great.
Jonna