'Amazing Acts of Character' Awarded to Local Students

Contributed by Renarta Clanton Moyd

Fayetteville – Each month through the school system’s character recognition program titled ‘Amazing Acts of Character,’ schools are asked to nominate students who display character above and beyond expected behavior. 

Two students were recently selected from individual school nominations for displaying ‘Amazing Acts of Character’ and will be recognized and honored during the Cumberland County Board of Education meeting this evening (May 14) at 6:30 p.m. in the Central Services building, located at 2465 Gillespie Street. The honorees are as follows: 

Laine Maples, a kindergartener at E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary School, loves animals and one day hopes to become a veterinarian, according to her teacher, Dena Wronko. The six year old’s love of animals was expressed recently when she celebrated her birthday and invited her classmates and friends. In lieu of receiving personal gifts, Laine requested that her guests bring pet food and supplies to support the animals living in a shelter. “…at the young age of 6, Laine understands the concept of ‘giving back to the community,’” said Wronko. “She generously offered to give up receiving personal gifts for her birthday to help animals that are in need. She has definitely gone above and beyond expected pleasant behavior.”

Gray’s Creek High School Social Worker Vanessa Wade describes Kaitlin Shenberger, a 12^th grader, as a student who shows compassion and care toward others. Recently, a homeless student enrolled in Kaitlin’s dance class. She did not have the necessary clothes for the class. Wade said Kaitlin approached her about helping the student. “The next day, Kaitlin came in with multiple pieces of clothing,” said Wade. “She had used money she had been saving to buy Christmas gifts for her own family. She said that she wanted me to give the clothes to the other student and did not want to make a big deal out of it because that was not important.”  After receiving the clothes, the student was overwhelmed with emotion and extremely thankful. Wade said the student guessed that Kaitlin had donated the clothes and stood before their dance class to publicly thank her for her kindness.

The ‘Amazing Acts of Character’ committee selects winners based on school nominations. The winners are then recognized at the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education. A special trophy and certificate are presented to each student winner.