THUNDER BAY -- Eleven-year-old Taylor Gorrie never thought she would be so close to achieving her childhood dream at such a young age.
During her schooling, Gorrie found that she had fallen victim to bullying many times, and she was never taught how to cope.
The school lacked the resources to help students who were being mistreated.
As a result, Gorrie created an initiative called SafeZone, a community group based within elementary schools that works hand in hand with the school support workers to educate students about bullying.
Determined to improve the way schools handle student well-being Gorrie stood in front of a dozen community members Saturday and shared her shocking story.
“Last year in Grade 5 I experienced fear, panic, confusion and depression all because I was bullied,” Gorrie told the audience Tuesday afternoon at a public discuss about student well-being.
“I had two bullies in my class,” Gorrie said. “One bully would punch me in the head weekly, push, shove and hit me in the back with a hockey stick during gym and the other boy would be all words.”
These two students had such a negative impact on Gorrie’s everyday life that the student feared even going to the park because there was a chance they would be there.
The lack of support from her teachers made Gorrie believe she wasn’t safe anywhere.
“I didn’t get any help from the one school I was in and the teachers didn’t believe me at all, which sucked because I got hit a lot in the head,” Gorrie said.
“It made me feel really alone, because I would always think to myself why me…I didn’t understand why it was me because I couldn’t get any help and it seemed like nobody else was getting bullied but me.”
Gorrie eventually realized it wasn’t just her being bullied.
There are many other children out there suffering from the lack of support schools have been able to provide for students in need of help.
Gorrie believed strongly in creating that support and has introduced her SafeZone initiative.
She is working on having SafeZones put in every school in Northerwestern Ontario.
During her presentation at Confederation College Saturday afternoon she received a lot of support from older students as well as adults who came to share their vision in supporting the well-being of students.
“I was hoping to get a lot of support for this idea and support for trying to make other kids feel like they aren’t alone,” Gorrie said.
“It felt really good that a lot of people came to support me and shared their ideas.”
Gorrie said her next step is going to be the SafeZone launch at Kingsway Park Public School in January.
“I hope that this initiative makes a difference,” Gorrie said.
“I know you can’t get rid of bullying but it would be great make a change.”
