SOUTH GLENS FALLS — On Wednesday, October 16, Act with Respect Always (AWRA) held a local speaking event at South Glens Falls (SGF) High School, in collaboration with the Coalition for Family Wellness and the SGF school District. That evening AWRA founder Rich Johns encouraged the community to embark on AWRA’s new Visibility Project.
The evening consisted of motivational anecdotes, videos explaining empathy and group discussions. This project promotes reaching out to others and letting them know their presence and visibility in this society is of importance. Just like the overall mission of AWRA, the Visibility Project is not only hoping to inspire, but encourage everyone to make conscious efforts to engage with everyone they meet.
Saratoga Springs High School student Eve Crossett not only has joined John’s team, but makes a conscious effort to make those she meets feel visible.
"When I see someone in the hallway who I sort of know but not really, I would still say hello to them, then their face sort of lights up," said Crossett.
As a high school senior, Crossett experiences the day-to-day pressures of applying to colleges, balancing sports and schoolwork. Crossett expresses that it becomes easy for her, and many other students to feel overwhelmed.
"I think that there are places available to students - different teachers, guidance counselors, but I don’t think students take advantage of those opportunities because they’re not advertised as much," said Crossett.
While there are resources for students to help with daily stresses, subtle actions to make another person feel seen sometimes eases tensions, promotes a sense of community, and lets others know that they have more support systems than initially thought.
AWRA IS A 501 © 3 charitable organization. To locate upcoming speaking engagements in the area, visit actwithrespectalways.com.
