West Bladen students win state-wide contest

BLADENBORO – A class of gifted and creative students had quite a surprise Dec. 3 at West Bladen High School.

It was an exciting day for the Peer Group Connection (PGC) class at West Bladen. It turns out that they entered a contest advocating against bullying in school and at approximately 11:45 on that Wednesday afternoon, they learned that they were the winner of the contest.

They were gathered in the school’s media center and the outcome of the contest was only known by a few teachers and administrators.

The PGC program has been at West Bladen since 2018. The class is made up of a diverse bunch of juniors and seniors who lead weekly outreaches for the freshman class. These outreaches are designed to help build peer relationships and support freshmen with their transition to high school.

PCG is a school-based mentoring program using older students to help younger ones transition to high school (or middle school) by building skills, relationships and connectedness.

“What made this particularly special was that the student’s didn’t know they’d won,” said Elly Johnson, Director of Communications & Family Engagement for Bladen County Schools. “Representatives from the Center for Safer Schools were on campus to surprise them with the news. It was a memorable moment that showcases the power of student-led kindness initiatives.”

“I think this is wonderful,” said West Bladen Principal Chris Orrock. “To think that it was this group of kids from our high school is awesome. This is a very creative group and I am proud to have them a part of WBHS.”

Engagement manager Chelsea King and school engagement coordinator Mya Batts from the Center for Safer Schools came into the school Dec. 3 armed with pizzas for the entire class and chrome books for each student.

“The Center for Safer Schools had a contest,” she said. “It was for advocating against bullying and it was held in October. The contest was for high school students and middle school students and we had a category for classrooms. West Bladen entered under “Connection group,” and they won with a video that was very cool. I liked it a lot.”

One of the co-teachers, Nathan Brisson addressed the class who were looking very befuddled as to why there were cameras in the class, pizzas on the table and strangers they had never seen.

“I told you all that I never got an email back from the Center from Safer Schools for the contest we were entered in,” Brisson said.

Crickets in the student audience.

“But even though I didn’t get an email, but she (Lauren Sasser – also a co-teacher for the group) did and it said that we had won the contest,” Brisson said.

Following the thunderous applause and cheering, Brisson said it was the hardest secret he had ever had to keep in his life.

As King approached the students, she said that it was the second contest held of this sort and one of the biggest they’d ever held.

“We really appreciate y’all,” she told the class. “On Tic Tok – we saw it and it was very creative and the editing was very enjoyable. Congratulations! We have an award to give you and we just hope that you guys spread the message and continue to spread the message inside schools to stop the bullying and please be kind. We go around to all the schools in North Carolina and we sponsor many different workshops and programs.”

Brisson who was the teacher filling in for Sasser while she was on maternity leave was the one who initially got an email from Principal Orrock.

“The email was from the Center for Safer Schools and it was about a contest that was just general for the school,” he said. “I gave the kids the idea and the way we do everything is in a group circle. I just let them toss the idea around. We worked out a script as a group and roles as a group. We had Estrella (Vasquez-Aguilar) do all of our editing. We couldn’t have done this without her.”

Sasser actually also received the email about the contest and thought it would be something of value.

“It was a leadership thing that we could do at the school,” Sasser said. “Mr. Brisson took charge of that in my absence and got the kids to make this video… and… they won!

The project took two to three weeks to put it all together and submit it. And then. They waited.

It was six weeks before they had heard anything and after Brisson told the students he didn’t get an email, they kind of started to let it go.

“I actually got a phone call,” Sasser said. “I just happened to be in the office and our data manager grabbed me and said that she had a phone call for me from Center for Safe Schools. At that point Chelsea (King) said that we’d won the contest and that they were going to come by and bring pizza and a chrome book for each student. It was a big shock for me because I hadn’t really been a huge part of the production process. When they told me, I was like… giddy.”

After she told Brisson in the next few moments, he wanted to tell the students the next day.

“I said, ‘no we have to wait,’” she said. “We have to make it a surprise.”

“It was a long month for me sitting on this information,” Brisson said.

“This is such a good group of kids,” Sasser said. “They deserve this. And they deserve to be celebrated. They work so hard as leaders in school. Particularly with our freshmen. To able to say, ‘Look. As leaders we celebrate you and you did such a phenomenal job.”

These kids didn’t just win a contest, but the contest showcased what they do every single day of their life, and although it’s never easy to be in that position, they have earned the respect of their peers. And now – the recognition that they are the best in the state of North Carolina.

One of the students in the video, Omarion Brown said, “This wasn’t that hard for us because we are a group that loves challenges. We are always ready for a good challenge. We like to be set to our standards and reach for the sky in everything that we do.”

When asked if he or his group were personally ever involved in encountering a spirit of bullying he said, “I would definitely say so. Not only firsthand but also second hand. We see things all the time, kids being mistreated because of certain things; height, race, how they look. There are so many things in schools that are just not talked about. Us being PCG leaders are humbled to be able to act in intervention. Our goal is equality – make everyone feel the same.”

Brown, a charismatic leader says he has no problem going forth and sharing his heart on issues.

“I don’t mind standing up for the right causes for the right reasons,” he said. “When I see wrong, I always try to go and make it right.”

He and this group of students put West Bladen High School on the map. For all the right reasons and they gave the community an opportunity to cheer for them and help champion them.

Students involved with the PGC class:

Ashley Baiza Rivon, Jamaiya Ballard, Jyra Best, Ryleigh Brothers, Omarion Brown, Jonah Bryan, Isabel Cookson, Anthony Corbett, Emma Fisher, Carrie Jones, Riley Kline, Cylee Lugenbell, Diyari McKoy, Brandon Nowling Jr., Skyler Register, Brody Rhodes, Jailynn Russ, Melissa Sandoval Garcia, Ava Schneider, Estrella Vasquez-Aguilar and Uriah Wright,

The video they submitted can be viewed at: https://www.tiktok.com/@itzemmer/video/7560702364978613535 or at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1522391062546737