Middle school students receive encouraging message before the start of summer break

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Two schools partnered to leave a lasting impression on kids before school ends for the summer, sharing specific messages to students to make sure that what they heard may stick with them.

Shelton State Community College welcomed students from Eastwood Middle School to campus Friday. Cheerleaders and student-athletes formed two lines and cheered the youngsters on.

Students from Eastwood have come to Shelton State for a day of encouragement and support for the past two years. That’s the purpose of Girls Empowerment and Saving Our Sons.

The students were divided into groups of boys and girls as local and nationally recognized speakers offered them messages about healthy lifestyles, personal responsibility, and setting goals crafted for each audience.

“We have a lot of students that deal with self-esteem issues, mental health, vaping. That’s a big issue in a lot of the school systems,” Dr. Shante Morton of Eastwood Middle School said. “And, so we wanted community members to come in and just talk about the importance of being yourself and not be influenced by the wrong powers that’d lead you in a negative way.”

Folks who organized the event wanted to give the kids something to think about as the school year ends and summer begins in a few weeks.

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