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About her essay: In her essay, Coral describes her personal experience with cyberbullying during the pandemic and how it led to isolation and mental distress. Through support from a teacher, she overcame this period and found a passion for cybersecurity, aiming to protect others from online harm. Coral now advocates for cyberbullying awareness, designs educational programs, and supports legislation to safeguard minors from online threats.
About Victor’s essay: In his essay, Victor discusses the growing issue of cyberbullying, emphasizing the importance of a team approach involving parents, school administrators, and individuals. He highlights the need for open communication, clear guidelines, and educational programs to combat cyberbullying while also advocating for personal responsibility in promoting positive online behavior.
About Fiona’s essay: In her essay, Fiona discusses the challenges of cyberbullying in a rapidly advancing technological world, emphasizing the knowledge gap between adults and younger generations. She advocates for a collaborative approach to online safety, where educational institutions train both students and adults on cyberbullying awareness and prevention. Fiona stresses that it is her responsibility, as a member of the technology generation, to share knowledge and empower others to effectively address cyberbullying.
About Kaylee: Kaylee is a high school student involved in nursing and sports programs, including GlenOak’s Advancement to Nursing program and varsity lacrosse. She is a proactive individual, having held a part-time job throughout high school, participated in community service, and competed in regional and state competitions.
About Kaylee’s essay: In her essay, Kaylee recounts her personal experience with the “Blue Whale” cyberbullying trend, highlighting its tragic impact on her community. She emphasizes the importance of adult intervention, social media awareness, and the need for better education on internet safety to protect young individuals. Despite the challenges, she acknowledges the progress made in raising awareness and providing resources to combat cyberbullying effectively.
About Caleb: Caleb Napper is a senior at the University of Tennessee Knoxville at the Tickle College of Engineering. He graduated in May 2023 and is getting his Master of Science in Structural Engineering. He is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, and he helped found the Diversity in Civil Engineering group, an organization designed to help those going for a Civil Engineering major.
Reaction Statement: Social media is intended to be a way to share good moments with your friends, but over time, it quickly morphed into a way to be judged. Every time you post, people are evaluating your appearance, and your life, and it can feel like your worth is also being scrutinized. Of course, you shouldn’t feel this way with your friends, but “friends” on social media does not always equate to people who actually love you. Social media feeds quickly get filled with acquaintances, fallen-off friendships, one-time meetings, and mutuals that you never have even met. This may seem silly to those who are older, but again, put yourself into the shoes of someone who grew up online. So much time is spent in cyberspace that it’s a part of our human experience.
About Chase: Chase Muldrow is currently a senior at the Cumberland Christian Academy. He is an honor roll student who participates in archery, Robotics Club, Entrepreneur Club, and is active in various community service events.
Chase’s Reaction Snippet: Combating cyberbullying requires a collaborative approach involving parents, School Administrations, and individuals, including myself within the community. Each party plays a unique and crucial role in raising awareness and preventing cyberbullying. Parents must establish open communication channels with their child/children and guide them towards responsible online behavior. Schools should create safe spaces and educate students about cyberbullying’s impact. Individuals, including myself, can be advocates for change, intervene when necessary, and support victims. Through collective efforts, cyberbullying can be effectively addressed by creating a safer and more compassionate online environment for everyone. It is through these combined actions that we can work towards eradicating cyberbullying and fostering a digital world where respect and kindness prevail.
About Clara: Clara Biela is currently a senior at the Rickover Naval Academy in Chicago, Illinois. She is a member of the Navy Junior Research Training Corps, and is also on various varsity teams: wrestling, cross country, track & field, and bowling.Clara’s Reaction Snippet: Social Media is not a new phenomenon. It should be a shock to no one that more and more young adults are hopping onto the latest app to share their daily lives with their friends, completely unaware of the dangers that await them. Posting publicly on interfaces like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok, teenagers are bound to get some backlash whether it’s from a rival classmate or even someone they don’t know. How do we as trusted adults and peers prevent this cyberbullying? I propose a three-pronged attack. First they have to hear the negative outcomes of social media. Then we must advise them of safe online practices. Last, we divert their attention to more beneficial activities outside of the screen. Hear. Advise. Divert. HAD. Because we’ve HAD it with cyberbullying.
About Madyson: Madyson Voss is currently enrolled at Quincy University where she is a member of the Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is an active volunteer at St. Edwards Church and Unity Elementary School.Madyson’s Essay Snippet: There are not a lot of things I can personally do when it comes to helping prevent cyberbullying, but I can play a small role and so can others. One thing I can do is teach my younger siblings and cousins how bad bullying and being disrespectful truly is making them aware of the consequences it has on not only you but how it makes others feel. It not only can always come back and haunt you, but you are putting others down which is an awful thing to do. Teaching them how bad it truly is will prevent them from ever participating in it and possibly will teach them that if they are a victim of it that I am here and that they can come talk to me about it. I always tell them to be kind to one another and to bring other people up not down.
About Joseph: This fall, I will be attending the University of Michigan for electrical engineering. I love learning, particularly about scientific and social issues. Outside of engineering, I am interested in psychology, sociology, law, politics, and philosophy. In my free time, I enjoy weightlifting, hiking, reading, public service, and hanging out with friends. I work as a head lifeguard during the summer, and I am currently serving on my city’s transportation commission. Long-term, I’m interested in advanced nuclear reactor design, particularly with respect to safety and environmental friendliness, as well as ensuring energy security for future generations.
Reaction Statement: “I was so excited to hear I had won the 2022 Cyberbullying Awareness Scholarship, and I am incredibly grateful to McCready Law. With the rising cost of college, it is scholarships like these that give many of us the chance to pursue our dreams in higher education. Writing this essay challenged me to really think about how cyberbullying has affected myself and those around me, as well as about the fundamental issues that are driving it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you McCready Law!”
About Natalia: I am currently studying mechanical and biomedical engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. As much as I am fascinated by the complex mathematics and sciences that govern the world around us, I also spend much of my time exploring more artistic endeavors such as painting, sewing, gardening, and cooking new cuisines. Much of the food I cook or the clothes I sew are inspired by my family’s Argentinian culture. While I currently live in Tennessee to attend school, I grew up in Philadelphia, and hope to move to San Francisco to work at an innovative tech company.
scholarship provided a fantastic opportunity to fund my education, it also challenged me to learn more about cyberbullying. This essay prompted me to consider how technology can be made safer for those using it and also how I can play a part in preventing cyberbullying. Thank you for this scholarship, McCready Law. You are actively helping build a better future for generations to come!”
Reaction Statement: “I am so incredibly grateful to be the winner of the 2021 Cyberbullying Awareness Scholarship. While this
Honorable Mention to the other Top 10 applicants for the 2021 Cyberbullying Awareness Scholarship:
About Skylar: I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois but have since lived in Rome, Washington D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and most recently Omaha, Nebraska. I am a rising third year law student at UIC John Marshall law school in Chicago, Illinois. Before I began my law journey, I served as a high school teacher through a program called Teach For America for three years. I am passionate about privacy law, data governance & cybersecurity, and more broadly legal innovation with respect to AI and blockchain.
Skylar’s Reaction: “As both a former teacher and a future lawyer, winning this scholarship was so meaningful. I got the call on a Friday afternoon and remember exclaiming “this news made my week!” Winning this scholarship is an important moment in my trajectory as a future lawyer. I can turn to this moment to remind myself that I have an ongoing responsibility to advocate for specific legislation at both the state and federal level that is specifically geared towards cyberbullying and cyberharassment. I am so grateful for McCready Law’s Cyberbullying Awareness Scholarship!”
About Alice: Alice is from Atlanta, Georgia and will be attending Brown University in fall 2019. Throughout high school, she enjoyed volunteering with several service organizations, including National Honors Society and Interact Club. She also served as Co-Editor-in-Chief of her high school newspaper and played violin in several orchestral ensembles. In her free time, she enjoys reading, travelling, and practicing her German skills. She hopes to continue pursuing these interests in college, alongside her studies in science.
Alice’s Reaction: “More than anything else, I’m so excited to find out that I’m receiving this scholarship, and incredibly grateful to McCready Law for offering this award in the first place! It’s an enormous relief to know that instead of worrying about cost, I’ll be better able to focus on the opportunities and experiences for learning that college brings with it. I am truly ecstatic to be this year’s scholarship recipient and cannot say thank you enough! I look forward to continuing to work on building positive, supportive communities that empower people to stand up against cyberbullying.”
