Alyssa Barrett
Princeville Grade School
Princeville, Illinois

Alyssa Barrett is a 13-year-old student at Princeville Grade School in Princeville, Illinois. She participated in the MindOH! Foundation's 2002 Character's Cool Contest, and won an Experience Music Project Prize Pack.

The Character's Cool Contest was a national contest for middle school students to help stop school violence and to encourage the practice of ethical behavior. Participants completed an online survey about their experiences in the aftermath of Sept 11th, bullying and school violence, and the ethical behavior and character qualities needed to reduce school violence.

When asked about the first emotion she felt upon learning about the September 11th attacks, Alyssa felt scared. Alyssa's parents and school both talked to her about the events of September 11th.

Alyssa thinks it's possible for one country to bully another country, and she's actually seen someone being bullied in her school. Princeville Grade School takes measures to prevent bullying and violence. "The person who does the bullying gets punished."

Alyssa thinks it's important for young people to learn how to manage their anger and resolve conflicts peacefully, and she thinks that it's important to be respectful of others, even when you disagree. She thinks that there are certain character qualities people need to have to reduce violence: Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Courage, Cooperation, Tolerance, Love, Patience, and Self Control.

Princeville Grade School teaches Alyssa about these character qualities through Character Counts. Alyssa also thinks about and tries to practice these character qualities.

Some of Alyssa's hobbies include volleyball, basketball, track, cheerleading, youth group, church and riding horses.

When asked about an adult she looks up to, Alyssa wrote "I admire my dad because he has accomplished a great thing. My dad used to have bad judgment, and now he has turned his life around and has become a devoted Christian."

Alyssa's favorite teacher is her social studies teacher. Her favorite subjects are math and social studies. She also enjoys time with her friends. "My friends and I enjoy doing Christian activities, movies, and shopping."

When asked where she would go if she could travel anywhere in the world, Alyssa wrote, "I would seek out the poor people and help them come out of poverty as best as I could. The reason for me going there would be because that is what God would want me to do."

In the future, Alyssa plans to be a psychologist because she enjoys helping people. She is organized, funny, faithful, religious and friendly. Her advice to other U.S. student about stopping school violence is "dedicate yourself to Christ! He will help you with all your violent tendencies. Think before you act."