Victoria Simmons
Age: 16
School: Atlantic Technical High School in Coconut Creek
Grade: 10
Hometown: Tamarac
Trait: Respect
Victoria Simmons believes everyone deserves respect and acceptance. While people come from different places, everyone has the same needs, she says.
“Once we see the similarities in each other, we are able to break the invisible barrier and accept one another,” Victoria says.
Margie Rohrbach, media specialist: Victoria is an excellent student. She is hard working, polite, friendly and helpful. She is an excellent role model in our Women of Tomorrow group.
When I had Victoria in my public speaking class last year, I was impressed with the good will she showered on her classmates. She truly cared about their feelings and saw them as real. Too often teens can only see their own feelings as real, but Victoria’s sense of empathy is strong. Victoria is a role model in that she shows compassion, works to a high degree of excellence, and takes responsibility for her actions and her effect on others.
Samantha and Stephen Simmons, parents: Victoria demonstrates tolerance every day, being the oldest of four children. She is able to observe her surroundings, maintain her composure and act accordingly. We love, love, love that Victoria has never been a “crowd follower.” We have seen her step up beyond her years and put others before herself. She has always been mindful of others needs as a daughter, a sister and as a friend. Victoria has a caring heart. She reaches out to others, especially those that differ from her. She wants everyone to feel special and accepted. She does this through her kind words, loving actions, and her warm and welcoming smile.
Victoria changes the lives of others through the simplicity of kind words and a caring heart. She has always been a deep thinker and will come to us with questions regarding others and scenarios she witnessed at school. She wants to understand why. Why do people behave like this? What would you do and why? She gets it. She truly gets that investing in other people matters. Victoria is a selfless young lady who wants to make a positive change in the lives of others. She knows by choosing to use positive words, a warm smile and small acts of kindness, she has the power to do so.
Victoria Simmons: I try my best to be tolerant because I know what it feels like to be discriminated against. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel like an outcast just because of something they do differently. Sometimes we separate ourselves from other culturally different people because we assume that we can’t get along with them. We may not have the same traditions, or way of doing things. But we, as humans, all have the same needs and we can all find something in common.
I recently received positive feedback from classmates, who told me I was authentic. Hearing that made me realize that I do have an impact on the people I am around. I am continuously motivated to do these things because I continue to see the little impacts I make. Also, it’s easy for teenagers to feel alone. Just asking someone how they are doing can make them feel that they aren’t alone and that they are accepted. Tolerance can help take away the loneliness and make us all feel connected.
Most of the time I don’t feel like I am doing something spectacular and I don’t see it as a big deal. It’s always after these acts that I see the impact I have had. So after the fact, I feel really happy and excited to have made someone feel accepted. I have had my classmates comment to me that they appreciate my kindness toward them. I think that once they realize I’m not trying to put them down, they feel welcomed to have casual talks without putting up their guard.
-Beth Feinstein-Bartl