Positive Change Scholarship 2019

Congratulations to one of our 2019 Positive Change Scholarship recipients, Rohan Mani! We’re excited for him to graduate from McLean High School in June, where he has been a Sources of Strength Peer Leader. He will be enrolling in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in the fall.

We are so proud of the legacy of positive change he’s leaving at McLean High School, and look forward to seeing the incredible impact he will continue to make in the future.  Read his reflection essay for his Positive Change project below:

Positive Change Scholarship Reflection Essay: Kindness Wall

For the Strength in our Voices’s Positivity Project, I chose the James Lee Community Center in Falls Church for the display of my “Kindness Wall.” The center offers an extensive array of after school programs for underserved neighboring communities. On average, over 100 kids and teens come to the center to participate in a variety of activities. 

Since the wall occupied a prominent space in the center (at the entrance), I believe it influenced almost all these students over a period of two weeks. Furthermore, I also provided a blank wall for students to write their own words of kindness.

In order to assess the impact of these words on the students, I had designed a survey questionnaire (Annex 1, featured below), which I discussed with a select group of students on the final day. 

Annex 1:  Kindness Wall Situational Questionnaire/Focus Group Discussion

James Lee Center; 2855 Annandale Rd Falls Church, Virginia 22042

1. Did you write on the kindness wall?
2.  If so, what word did you choose and why?
3. What is kindness in your view?
4. What does it mean to be kind?
5. Why should we be kind to others?
6. What sort of positive effects result from acting with kindness?
7. Did your impression/understanding of kindness change by looking at the wall? If so, how?
8. Give an example when you acted kindly. How did it make you feel?
9. How do you feel if you act unkindly to others?
10. How do you feel when others act unkindly?
11. Give an example when you have seen other people- your friends/peers/parents/relatives acted with kindness to you or others. 
12. How do you feel when you are the recipient of a kind deed/action by others?
13. What type of effect do the words on the Kindness Wall have on you? 
14. Has the Kindness Wall inspired you to think or do an act of kindness? If so, give examples.

Which Words of Kindness Resonate the Most?

Since the blank wall got filled with inspiring and thoughtful words by the kids, I can say with confidence that the kids actively participated and took the project seriously. The focus group discussion was lively and students opened up freely about what the words on the wall meant for them in their daily lives. 

Most students felt that the words “kindness” and “forgiveness” resonated with them the most and helped them develop a positive mindset. Having the words come from their  point of  view inspired them to be nice to others, stand up to bullies, show leadership and sportsmanship.  

Most students believed that the wall helped reinforce a positive mindset and attitude for all students.  “Thankfulness” was another word that influenced them considerably. In general, they felt thankful for the opportunities they got in the community to learn and develop themselves. 

The Motivational Power of Kind Words

Unanimously, students said that looking at the kindness wall made them think of their own deeds and acts. Many considered how they can motivate themselves and their peers. Students felt motivated to be more compassionate and show leadership qualities in their schools and communities. 

Finally, since sports is an important part of their lives, kindness could be reflected through sportsmanship on the court and in the field. Surprisingly, they said that age is not a factor since even little kids sometimes inspire others by performing deeds of kindness. 

Kindness is just one way we can protect our own mental health, and contribute positively to others’ mental wellness.

The Impact of Kindness for Positive Change

Overall, it was inspiring to see the impact of the kindness wall even for two weeks.  I therefore feel that kindness walls should become permanent fixtures in our schools and community centers. I would even say that it should become a campaign as students are everyday struggling to navigate their way through bullying and other similar acts. 

If I ever wanted to do this experiment again, I would provide incentives to the students to keep track of and perform acts of kindness. One option could be providing a token (wristbands, stickers) they can exchange once an act of kindness is done.

Replicating this Positive Change Scholarship Project in the Future

Also, I would probably make the questionnaire more structured and administer it to a much larger community of students. In addition to the students, I would have also liked to reach out to community leaders and school administrators to get their perception on the situation. 

Overall, I was quite inspired by my experience and encouraged by the responses that I got from the students.  I will take this forward to be a role model myself, by influencing the kids in the school and in the community-be it as a peer leader of Sources of Strength  or as a McLeader  or as a basketball coach.