Bedford student talks to school board about campaign to address bullying
Gov. Sununu attended Hannah Guilmette's presentation
Updated: 10:56 PM EDT Jul 9, 2018
Jessica Moran
WEBVTT BOARD WITH GOVERNOR SUNUNU IN THE ROOM AND ASKED FOR BETTER ANTI-BULLYING POLICIES. >> PLEASE REMEMBER THAT ALL KIDS NEED TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG AND ARE UNDERSTOOD. I HOPE THE STUDENTS WILL TRY TO GET INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITIES THEY LOVE TO DO. JESSICA: HANNAH TELLING HER STORY TO THE BEDFORD SCHOOL BOARD AND HOPE -- IN HOPES THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE AGAINST BULLYING. >> I WILL BE A VOICE FOR THOSE THAT ARE NO LONGER HERE. JESSICA: ALONG WITH HER MOTHER, THE 14-YEAR-OLD STARTED -- "I HAVE YOUR BACK OR GO THEIR CAMPAIGN CAUGHT THE EYE OF GOVERNOR SUNUNU WHO ATTENDED THE MEETING SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS TOPIC. >> THERE IS CLEARLY AN OUTCRY FOR PEOPLE TO FIND PROGRAMS THAT WORK AND THAT HAS SOME CONTINUITY AND A NARRATIVE THAT CAN TRAVEL WITH A STUDENT FROM THE FIRST GRADE TO THE 12TH GRADE. JESSICA: THE MEETING ALSO CAUGHT THE EYE OF A GRANDMOTHER OF A DOT -- OF A GIRL WHO TOOK HER LIFE AFTER BULLYING LAST MONTH. >> I THINK THEY CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON BULLYING OUT THERE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS. JESSICA: ONE SMALL WAY THAT HANNAH WORKS TO LET STUDENTS KNOW THEY ARE NOT ALONE IS THAT SHE HANDS OUT THESE BLUE
A 14-year-old high school student spoke in front of Gov. Chris Sununu and the Bedford School Board Monday night to bring more awareness to her anti-bullying campaign."Please remember that all kids need to feel like they belong and are understood," Hannah Guilmette told the crowd gathered at Bedford High School. "I hope that students will try to get involved in activities they love to do. This has made a huge difference for me in school.">> Download the FREE WMUR appGuilmette hopes that by telling her story, more can be done to help students impacted by bullying."Our mission is to be a voice for those who need one," she said. "We will now also be a voice for those who are no longer here, who desperately needed a voice, but took their life as a result of feeling they had no other option because of bullying."With her mother's help, Guilmette started "I've Got Your Back," a campaign bringing awareness to the issue of bullying issueSununu attended the meeting specifically to hear what Guilmette had to say."There is clearly a clamoring and an outcry for folks to find programs that work, that can be embraced, that, again, have some continuity, have a narrative that can really travel with a student from the first grade, all the way up to the 12th grade," he said.The meeting also caught the attention of Theresa Desmarais, the grandmother of Skylar Desmarais, an 11-year-old Manchester girl who took her own life last month."I love what they are doing," Desmarais said. "I think it will make a big impact on bullying out there, and I hope it's able to get into more schools. I did not know about it. It's the first time I heard about it, and if I knew, I would have got ahold of them sooner, when I found out Skylar was being bullied."One small way that Guilmette works to let students know they are not alone is to hand out blue wristbands that read "I've Got Your Back."
BEDFORD, N.H. —
A 14-year-old high school student spoke in front of Gov. Chris Sununu and the Bedford School Board Monday night to bring more awareness to her anti-bullying campaign.
"Please remember that all kids need to feel like they belong and are understood," Hannah Guilmette told the crowd gathered at Bedford High School. "I hope that students will try to get involved in activities they love to do. This has made a huge difference for me in school."
Manchester family says girl, 11, killed herself after months of bullying
Guilmette hopes that by telling her story, more can be done to help students impacted by bullying.
"Our mission is to be a voice for those who need one," she said. "We will now also be a voice for those who are no longer here, who desperately needed a voice, but took their life as a result of feeling they had no other option because of bullying."
With her mother's help, Guilmette started "I've Got Your Back," a campaign bringing awareness to the issue of bullying issue
Sununu attended the meeting specifically to hear what Guilmette had to say.
"There is clearly a clamoring and an outcry for folks to find programs that work, that can be embraced, that, again, have some continuity, have a narrative that can really travel with a student from the first grade, all the way up to the 12th grade," he said.
The meeting also caught the attention of Theresa Desmarais, the grandmother of Skylar Desmarais, an 11-year-old Manchester girl who took her own life last month.
"I love what they are doing," Desmarais said. "I think it will make a big impact on bullying out there, and I hope it's able to get into more schools. I did not know about it. It's the first time I heard about it, and if I knew, I would have got ahold of them sooner, when I found out Skylar was being bullied."
One small way that Guilmette works to let students know they are not alone is to hand out blue wristbands that read "I've Got Your Back."