Stand for the Silent, an organization helping to stop bullying
announces scholarship winners.
OKLAHOMA
CITY, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- We hear
a lot about bullying, which has become a significant issue
recently. We don't always hear about the young people trying to
prevent it and raise awareness about it. That's why Stand for the
Silent has put some of those students in the spotlight for four
years in a row now, giving them memorial scholarships for their
anti-bullying efforts in their schools and community. They now
announce the five winners of their spring 2024 memorial
scholarships.
We are happy to be able to present these
scholarship winners with something to honor and recognize their
contribution to anti-bullying, says Kirk
Smalley, co-founder of Stand for the Silent.
"We are happy to be able to present these scholarship winners
with something to honor and recognize their contribution to
anti-bullying," says Kirk Smalley,
co-founder of Stand for the Silent. "Preventing and addressing
bullying is an issue that many people need to be involved in, and
it starts with students like these scholarship winners."
Stand for the Silent awards scholarships biannually and have for
the last four years, having started the program in 2021. They have
three different types of scholarships that they give out to five
recipients. Each recipient is awarded a $5,000 scholarship. The three scholarships and
their spring 2024 winners include:
Ty Smalley Memorial Scholarship
–
At age 11, Ty committed suicide due to bullying. His parents,
Kirk and Laura Smalley founded Stand
for the Silent and made it their mission to help raise awareness
about the issue so that other parents never have to endure what
they did. The two scholarship winners this year include
McKinley Rider of Du Quoin, Illinois, a high school senior and
humane society volunteer, and Bryce
Hampton of Bozeman,
Montana, a high school senior baseball player.
Laura Smalley Memorial
Scholarship –
She was a co-founder of Stand for the Silent and the mother of Ty.
She passed away in 2020. This scholarship was created in her memory
for those who help carry out the Stand for the Silent mission and
raise awareness about the dangers of bullying. The two spring 2024
winners include Macy Barefoot from
Noble, Oklahoma, an honor society
student and dual athlete playing volleyball and basketball, and
Nyra Frierson of Cleveland, Ohio, a senior marching band member
and student council treasurer.
President's Choice Scholarship –
This is a one-time scholarship the organization gives to someone
who is impacting their school. The spring 2024 winner is
Leslie Gray, from Spiro, Oklahoma. Gray is a student at the
University of Arkansas Forth Smith, and
is a mother of four.
"Stand for the Silent would like to convey its sincerest
congratulations to these compassionate, hard-working, and
community-minded individuals," added Smalley. "We wish them the
greatest of success in their academic journeys!"
Those interested in learning more about the scholarships,
reading more about the winners, or obtaining bullying prevention
resources can visit the organization's website. There is also
information on how to have the organization present at a local
school or community and how to start a local chapter. To get more
information, visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/
Smalley and his wife, Laura, started the organization following
their 11-year-old son, ending his own life due to bullying. They
turned their pain and loss into a mission of helping others. He
travels the country giving presentations about bullying to schools,
providing bullying prevention, giving out scholarships, offering
intervention strategies, and more. Those interested in getting
involved can start a chapter of the group in their area, obtain a
free K-2 bullying prevention curriculum or cyberbullying handbook
for parents, host a presentation at their school, intro of how all
started video, and donate to help support the cause. To get more
information, visit the site at: https://standforthesilent.org/
About Stand for the Silent
Started in 2010, Stand for the Silent is an organization on a
mission to help eliminate bullying nationwide. Kirk and Laura Smalley founded the group after
their child took his own life due to bullying. They offer free
resources for parents and educators and travel to schools to host
presentations. They have been to over 6,025 schools and spoken with
more than 4.15 million students. To get more information, visit the
site at: https://standforthesilent.org/
Media Contact
Cher Murphy, Stand For The
Silent, 571-263-2128, cher@chermurphypr.com,
https://standforthesilent.org/
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SOURCE Stand For The Silent