At just 14 years old, Georgia teen Allison Waters Albert has become an ambassador for anti-bullying within her community. Earning respect and admiration from peers for her willingness to share her own story, Allison has inspired several teens across her school district to take a stand against bullying. Through extensive work with 4-H, one of the largest youth development programs in the world, and numerous speaking engagements at area schools, Allison’s efforts have spearheaded the campaign for bullying prevention in her Georgia hometown.
Once a victim of bullying herself, Allison says she became involved with anti-bullying efforts through her 4-H membership. 4-H has been very committed to educating youth on all facets of bullying, helping to empower those who have suffered as victims and inspiring those who feel apathetic about bullying to become actively engaged. After attending several club meetings centered on bullying, Allison says she felt inspired to share her own story.
“Through research I discovered how bullying affects everyone. I knew that my story could reach more people if [it] became my 4-H project,” she said. “I wanted to change and help others at the same time.”
After receiving the go-ahead from her 4-H coordinator, Allison set off to complete her 4-H project on bullying prevention, later competing in 4-H’s Junior Project Achievement competition. Allison placed first among eighth graders within her district for her demonstration. Following her success in the competition, Allison became a frequent feature in area schools, speaking to countless youth about bullying and mentoring others to overcome the hurt of being bullied.
Ultimately, Allison desires to simply “help others and bring joy into the world.” Allison hasn’t slowed down her efforts and is currently busy at work on a bullying prevention video for a national competition and coordinating a “Stop the Bull!” project club to help both victims and participants of bullying.