If one takes a look at Kaitlin Monte, the reigning Miss New York 2011, it would be hard to guess that she was ever subjected to bullying.
However, the Rochester-born 22-year-old pageant queen, actress and Miss America hopeful admits that classmates often picked on her because of her looks and her love of theater and acting as she grew up attending school in upstate New York.
“They insulted everything from my talent as a performer to my looks to my self-value,” said Monte, who won the crown in June out of a pool of 22 contestants in Staten Island. “In a way, going after Miss New York was almost my own way of mastering the fears that those bullies had instilled in me. To get on that stage and to perform in front of that audience and present myself…that was for me.”
And yet, Monte, co-Head of Communications for the nonprofit student leadership initiative Project Empower, would be the first to say that her latest project—reaching out to schools across New York in order to put a stop to bullying—is for the children who face what she did.
Monte’s visit to Ave Maria Catholic Academy in Howard Beach on Tuesday was her third and latest stop in a statewide tour of schools promoting Project Empower, a new initiative that encourages student leadership by partnering with schools and community youth organizations through four distinctive nonprofit programs they offer.
Beginning this month, the Howard Beach-based Catholic school—with classes ranging from grades kindergarten through eight—will be participating in one of those programs, Project Outreach.
Through this civic involvement program, students at the school will work in teams in order to launch a nonprofit initiative in their local communities that targets a specific problem. In order to help kick off the campaign, students at the Howard Beach school participated in a competition where they came up with posters for an anti-bullying campaign.
Maria Cuomo, principal of the school, said her school was invited to participate in the program shortly after it was officially launched in November at a press conference at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Academy in Ozone Park.
Being part of the program, Cuomo said, helps students at her school to become more civic-minded, as well helping to promote more unity among the children by tackling the issue of bullying.
“It’s a great opportunity for us, and we’re very lucky to be a part of this program,” she said.
Cuomo said that her school had not received many complaints regarding bullying. She noted that the school also featured programs such as its student buddy program, where upper-grade children participate in activities with students in the lower grades; programs which she said help foster “a sense of togetherness” among classmates.
For a half-hour at the Tuesday event, classmates working together in groups came up with posters featuring ideas on how to stop bullying, such as telling an adult, standing up for one’s self and stepping in and helping fellow children when they see them being harassed.
In particular, many students focused on curbing so-called ‘cyber bullying,’ where others leave hateful messages for bullied victims online via Facebook, cell phones or instant messaging.
As she worked in her group with other classmates, Kristin Roberts, 13, of Howard Beach, noted that while she had not seen a lot of bullying around her school—“We’re a very closely knit school,” she said—it can still occur anywhere.
“I think that it’s important to talk to someone in charge, like an adult, if you’re being bullied,” she said. “It’s not always the first instinct, but you have to stand up for yourself.”
Bobby Hegarty, 11, of Howard Beach, whose group came up with a globally-based theme for their anti-bullying poster, said that while he had not been bullied personally, it was still an important topic to tackle.
As students prepared their posters and presentations for the anti-bullying campaign, Monte—whose platform as Miss New York targets ending bullying—spent time talking with boys and girls in each group about their experiences with bullies.
“You can identify with someone who is a lot closer to your age level,” she said, speaking of her time speaking with children there and at other schools she visited recently. “It’s amazing that even though there is a lot of (bullying), the kids want it to stop and they know that adults want to help.”
Speaking with young girls, Monte said, was something that was particularly important to her, knowing how fragile self-esteem can be for many girls growing up. Using her role as Miss New York to promote the program, she hopes to inspire young women to be all they can be.
“That’s what this crown is for…to go out and teach that to other women,” she said.
By Jean-Paul Salamanca
Forum Newsgroup Photo By Luis Gronda
jp.salamanca@theforumnewsgroup.com
