This week BHS hosted a different type of assembly.
“We’ve never had a presentation like this before,” explained Taylor Slavkin, “it was so touching and personal. The story about the little girl who gave hope to Rick when he didn’t expect it was so moving.”
Sweethearts & Heroes, a duo of superheroes without capes—Tom Murphy and Purple Heart Recipient Rick Yarosh–spoke to freshmen and sophmores about how they can activate their own superpowers–compassion, empathy and HOPE: Hold On Possibilities Exist– in their classrooms — and beyond.
“We implement practices and habits that genuinely empower and nurture students’ growth,” said Sweethearts & Heroes presenter Tom Murphy, “When people genuinely connect on a daily basis, they naturally develop the capacity for more meaningful interactions and thoughtful responses. Prioritizing human skills shouldn’t require extra preparation or a separate curriculum — it should be our primary focus. After all, before we can effectively teach academic subjects, we must first be teachers of humanity.”
For more than 16 years, Sweethearts & Heroes has presented what Murphy calls “‘the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying prevention” to more than 2.5 million students in school districts from New England to Hawaii as well as in Canada.
The auditorium immediately went quiet when Rick Yarosh appeared on stage in his wheelchair. Rick was on a patrol in the Abu Ghraib region of Iraq when the vehicle he was traveling in was hit by an IED. The blast ruptured the fuel cell and caused the vehicle to burst into flames. Rick suffered burns over more than half his body, had his right leg amputated below the knee and lost the use of his hands.
“After my accident, I had no hope. I was lost,” sad Rick, “One day a little girl came up to me. I said hi, but she ran off, and I thought to myself, she’s scared. Instead, she said to her father, ‘he’s so nice.’ I didn’t expect that at all. That little girl didn’t realize it, but she dumped a bucket of hope on me that changed my life forever. I am asking you to give hope to others and become a sweetheart like that little girl did for me.”
When the assembly ended, there was a line of students who approached Rick to shake his hand, tell him how they felt about his story and take a selfie with the veteran. In sharing his story, Rick taught them about hope and gave them tools they can use to become part of the solution. The students came away from the assembly understanding there are choices they can make, as well as simple ways for them to jump into action and make a positive change.
