The Shadow
Students in five Alleghany County Elementary Schools recently completed the 17-week Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.
The students, fifth graders from Boiling Spring, Sharon, Mountain View, Callaghan and Falling Spring elementary schools, participated in graduation ceremonies toward the end of the school year to mark their completion of the program.
The ceremonies were coordinated by Cpl. Chris Fisher of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office. Cpl. Fisher is the DARE instructor for the five county elementary schools.
The program began in Los Angeles in 1983, and is now implemented in 75 percent of school districts in the United States and in over 43 countries. The Alleghany County School System began offering DARE during the 1991-92 school year.
While DARE was originally implemented to help children resist drug and alcohol use, the curriculum was eventually expanded to help children avoid violence and offer them tools to help them make better decisions.
The program also created a decision-making model, based on the DARE acronym, which teaches students a four-step process to make wise decisions. Students now learn to Define, Assess, Respond and Evaluate (DARE).
At the Sharon ceremony, Gene Ayers of the Virginia State Police, who serves as state DARE coordinator, offered students a second decision-making acronym. He told students that when facing uncomfortable or dangerous situation, they can Refuse, Explain, Avoid, and/or Leave (REAL).
“Nothing good can ever come of using drugs,” said Ayers.
Family members and friends, as well as local law enforcement personnel and representatives from the Alleghany County School System, attended the ceremonies.
“The lessons you learn in DARE are oh so important and are life-long lessons,” said Mary Jane Mutispaugh, director of instruction for Alleghany County Schools.
Alleghany County Sheriff Kevin Hall stressed to students to “use the DARE model in everything you do”.
At Falling Spring Elementary, Lt. Col. Matt Bowser, Alleghany County chief deputy, reminded students that “if you get caught with drugs, alcohol or tobacco, it will stay on your record for the rest of your life.”
AS part of the DARE curriculum, each student was required to write an essay about the DARE program and what it means to them. The essays were judged and winners were selected from each classroom.
The essay winners included Cheyenne Sweeney and Ashton Southern, Boiling Spring; Gabriel Brie, Larra Newcomb, Karla Cottrell, Katherine Baker and Kaitlin Raether, Mountain View; Cassie Conner and Aysha Wright, Sharon; Morgan Hall and Molly Fagg, Callaghan; and Audrey Watson and Makenzi McFall, Falling Spring.
Each student read their essay aloud during their respective ceremonies, and each winner also received a trophy.
Keynote speaker were also featured at each graduation.
Speakers include Ed Stein, Alleghany County commonwealth’s attorney, Boiling Spring and Falling Spring; Kim Carroll of Safehome Systems, Inc., Mountain View; Donna Nicely, former Clifton Forge General District Court clerk, Sharon; and 1st Sgt. Mike King of the Virginia State Police, Callaghan.
What you’ve learned in DARE is the model for how to live your life,” said Stein at Boiling Spring.
He told students at Falling Springs that all the defendants he prosecutes in court have one thing in common.
“Everyone has an excuse,” he said. “They don’t want to take personal responsibility for their actions.”
“Every one of you is going to make mistakes. You’re not always going to do the right thing,” he continued. “Stand up and take responsibility. Don’t blame anyone else. Don’t make excuses…take responsibility.”
Carroll stressed to students at MVES that their dreams are achievable although “life can throw you a lot of different curveballs.”
“Don’t let anyone discourage you from reaching your goals,” she said.
Nicely, who is also a former magistrate, stressed to Sharon students the importance of good decision-making. “If you know something is wrong, don’t do it,” she said. “Don’t engage in behavior that will get you in trouble. ”
“It’s a series of choices that causes you to fall into the life of an addict,” she continued.
“Respect not only others, but most importantly yourself, said King to Callaghan DARE students.
“Realize your potential. Each one of you has your own unique set of gifts and talents. The sky is the limit. You have the potential to do what you want.”
During the graduations, Cpl. Fisher displayed a banner that was found recently at Mountain View Elementary by a staff member.
The banner, which reads “Our School’s Rock Drug Free”, was given to Cpl. Fisher, who decided to have the banner signed by the DARE gruatuates at all five schools.
Once the banner was signed by everyone, it was to be turned over to the school system to be displayed at the school board office in Low Moor.
Also during the ceremonies, Cpl. Fisher recognized and presented certificates of appreciation to individuals and organizations who assisted him this year with DARE.
Certificates were presented to school principals and secretaries, fifth grade teachers, each school’s Parent-Teacher organization, and other school staff members who assisted with implementing DARE this year.
Each student who completed DARE received a certificate, a stuffed DARE lion and a DARE t-shirt. Certificates and lions were presented at the conclusion of each ceremony.
Students at Boiling Spring Elementary School who completed DARE include: Brandon Andrews, Davey Arthur, Jenna Austin, Hayden Brooks, Ben Brown, Trevor Cox, Gary Dunihue, Caitlin Hamblett, Kallista Hoke, Kimberly Howard, Sierra Jackson, Kameron Jeffries.
Also: Cheyenne Jennings, Lynsay Jones, Austin Looney, Tailor Nida, Kyle Paxton, Ashton Southern, Cheyenne Sweeney, Faith Taylor, Nick Tingler, Cody Thompson, Ashley Tucker.
Fifth-graders who completed DARE at Mountain View Elementary School included: Benjamin Adcock, Hezekiah Alexander, Zion Allen, Madison Armentrout, Samantha Averill, Katherine Baker, Brent Barr, Christian Barron Jr., Hayley Bates, Katherine Beirne, Emilee Booze, Makayla Bowker, Luke Bradley, Gabriel Brie, Christopher Broughman, Aaron Burnette, Amber Burns, Stanley Bush II.
Also: Brett Cary, Avery Clarke, Danielle Conner, Karla Cottrell, Mary Cottrell, Meghan Craft, Samuel Craft, Kevin Curtis, Lyndzie Davis, Tyreece Davis, Cedric Drennen, Lindsay Dunbar, Tyrell Dutch, Jonah Dwiggins, Dayja Edwards, Rysheta Edwards, Chloe Eggleston.
Also: Ryan Fischer, Arthur Forbes, Dale Getman, Justin Gibson, Hailee Ginger, Micah Godfrey, Cidney Gusler, Skyler Hamrick, Charles Hancock, Christian Harless, Everette Harlow II, Khrea Hernandez, Jared Hippert, Robert Honts III, John Hoover, Zachary Horn, Celia Hostetter, Zachary A.H. Humphries, Zachary K. Humphries, Destiny Hunter, Kiara Hunter.
Also: Ian Jeter, Tucker Keener, Heather Kern, Rick Lanahan Jr., Edward Lewis, Megan Lewis, Joseph Loan, Qu’daja Manns, Brian McKinnell Jr., Nathaniel Michie, Matthew Mineiro, David Neff, Larra Newcomb, Stephen Nicely II, John Ouimette Jr., Kelsea Peck, Barry Perdue, Dustin Persinger, Shantea Petty, Natasha Pyles.
Also: Kaitlin Raether, Brianna Reynolds, Sean Robinson, Brooke Rocha, Kenneth Rogers, Nathaniel Rusmisel, Zackary Shepard, Shawn Simmons, Hannah Skelding, James Smith, Deston Spangler, Briana Spinner, Corea Spinner, Gabriel Spinner, Shawn Spinner, Linda Stull.
Also: Daley Terrell, Meagan Thornhill, Dawson Tolley, Cameron Tucker, Santana Tucker, Steven Unroe, Cody Via, Kara Via, Alexander Webb, Karrina Winston, Ethan Wolfe, Bret Worley, David Yee, Amir Young.
Students at Sharon Elementary School who completed DARE include: Samuel Brackenridge, McKenzie Brown, Cassie Conner, Catherine Davis, Meghan Fridley, Alexi Harlow, Charles Holbert, Sarah Huffer, Lindsay Ingram, Burgandy Jones, Cameron Kimberlin, Joshua Lloyd, Laurel Moore, Rachel Morgan.
Also: Abigail Newton, Brittany Nicely, Caden Nicely, Camryn Nicely, Haley Nicely, Kody Nicely, Carlee O’Conner, Delanie O’Conner, Nora Pichette, Olivia Simpson, Sylvie Slusser, Kaitlyn Smith, Alexis Swoope, Austin Thompson, Hannah Unroe, Jacob Vess, Aysha Wright.
Fifth graders who completed DARE at Callaghan Elementary School included: Bervie Arthur, Falyn Crowder, Sebastian Dawson, Molly Fagg, Morgan Graham, Elias Linsin, Allison Lodge, Tia McDaniel, C.J. Perkins, Harold B. Pressley, Brittany Reynolds, Jeremy Rucker, Ben Spinks, Xavier Storey, Ethan Thompson.
Also: Jenna Byers, Kerstyn Ford, Morgan Hall, Dillon Honaker, J.R. Honaker, Mariah Leonard, Abigail Lodge, Jennifer Marsh, Jonathan Moore, Mykaylah O’Conner, Taylor Pleasant, Summer Ruff, Travis Tucker, Hannah Wolfe.
Students completing DARE at Falling Spring Elementary School included: Hannah Baldwin, Cole Byer, Vivian Cucci, Felicia Earle, Haley Hansford, Sydney Hepler, Emily Hoffman, Andrew Kettlety, William Kettlety, Donald Kirby, Jace Lewis, Brianna Lipham.
Also: Siobhan McCrae, Makenzi McFall, Nick Moran, McKenzie Perkins, Hannah Porterfield, Macie Rice, Kelly Rock, Mark Seabolt, Rebekah Snedegar, Zach Suggs, Colton Swearengin, Christopher Thompson, Kiersten Tucker, Mark Walton, Audrey Watson, Ashley White, Travis Williams, Jamie Woodie.
Editor’s Note: Local News Editor Josh Hagy contributed to this story by attending Callaghan’s graduation.
