Recently, LEAD Scholars and the Student Government Association came together to usher in change. Awareness was their goal; their mission was to bring to light an issue recently plaguing the country: bullying.
The repercussions of bullying – self-mutilation, self-hatred and suicide are what mobilized the groups to take action. They don’t want UCF to suffer through a suicide before it realizes that bullying is a serious issue on campus.
The students found it very humbling taking over the union that day. They distributed blank T-shirts and had students write unpleasant words they’d been called throughout their lives on the front. On the back, they were to do the opposite – write positive aspects they loved about themselves. The message was simple: we all get bullied, but as a community we will overcome.
Freshman Tsciena White commented, “Oftentimes students struggle to say positive things about themselves. We’re so quick to be hard on ourselves and point out our downfalls. The campaign was a great idea because it encouraged us to embrace our better halves.”
The LEAD Scholars Program is in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.